Addiction
by Kitanoe-Jyoni
Summary: Kitanoe has been on the run for as long as she can remember, and develops a habit while hiding in Human World. She's finally apprehended by Koenma's team, however she learns that Koenma wants to hire her for her skills in thievery instead of arrest her. After training and fighting with the team, she becomes addicted to something else, or rather someone else. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter One**

Her skin was flushed as she leaned back into the couch. Her blue sapphire eyes were dilated as she stared at what was left over on the table. She had used this house for some time. No one was ever home, so she slept here most nights. She stole to survive, and to supply her drug habit. Her dark black hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned closer to the table where she had crushed the Roxy into fine powder. She had to give the humans the benefit of the doubt in the fact that they could create sustaining pain killers. Roxy was just a street name. They were high end Percoset's. This particular haul was obtained by stealing from Spirit World two months ago. She had stolen jewels and artifacts that easily sold on the black market. She glared at the powder on the table. She was being hunted and was forced to hide in the hell hole that was this human city. Her demon energy wasn't even that powerful. Once Koenma's Spirit Detective found her, she would surely be dead. Grabbing the straw on the table with quick haste, she placed it to her nose and inhaled the last of the powder before letting unconsciousness claim her for the night.

"We've been working this case now for two months and we still don't have any leads. What if this chick is dead or something?" A rough voice, attached to a tall male with orange hair and high cheek bones, mused.

"That's not possible, Kuwabara. I for one would know for sure. I would have had to escort her across the River Styx." A blue haired woman, with a high pitched although soft voice, answered him. "And her demon energy is always so low that we can't pick up any trace of her on my demon compass."

"Well this is just a big waste of time." Another male with greased back, jet black hair spoke. "How are we supposed to find her then? There hasn't been any sign of her in Demon World, and Botan can't find her in Human World or Spirit World. What did she steal anyway? Is it that important to find her?"

"Don't be lazy, Yusuke!" A toddler with a blue pacifier in his mouth screeched at his Spirit Detective. "What she stole isn't important, it's the fact that she infiltrated our command center without so much as a guard catching her or even getting a read on her power! This isn't the first time she has stolen from us either! The SDF can't even get a trace on her location!" The toddler slumped down, clearly defeated and exhausted from his search attempts.

"I'm sorry Lord Koenma, but I don't see what options we have left..." Botan humbly spoke with equal defeat.

"Does the wanted criminal by chance have a previous record?" A tall male with long red hair entered the room, followed by a shorter male with spiky blue-black hair with a white star burst in the center. "Perhaps it would help if we had a picture, or the where abouts of where her previous crimes were reported. It might help us narrow out an area to search."

"That's the problem, Kurama. We have reason to believe that she may indeed be in the Human World-" Koenma started before he was interrupted by Yusuke.

"Well then let's go find this demon bitch so I can get back to doing nothing."

"Would you shut up and listen for once in your life!" Koenma snapped. "You've been my detective now for 7 years Yusuke. You would think you would know how this works. " Koenma clicked a button on his remote, and as the screen fell for viewing, a picture appeared of the wanted criminal.

She was more then beautiful. She had long flowing black hair and sapphire blue eyes. She had gorgeous ivory skin and was all around radiant. Her information came next. She was wanted in all 3 Demon World regions, Spirit World, and even Human World. She was wanted for more then hundreds of heists. Her name is Kitanoe Jyoni, Alias Kitty. She was half fire, half ice demon; very rare. She was barely a D class demon, but her skills in stealth and thievery rivaled those of Youko Kurama's. Last known location was in the shopping center of Yusuke's town! Last seen speaking with another demon who went by the name Felix.

Yusuke looked back over at Koenma. "How long ago was she spotted?"

"3 weeks ago I am afraid. There is no telling if she is still there. We just received this information from an unknown source late last night, which is why I called you here so urgently. " Koenma paused for a moment. "Yusuke, I am going to cut to the point. Once you apprehend her, bring her straight to me. I want her to work for me-"

"WHAT!?" Yusuke snapped.

"-So that she may recover other lost and stolen artifacts and return them to me. Thousands of relics are missing Yusuke. Powerful ones. She is the only one I know who is capable of the skills needed to handle these missions. She eluded the SDF Yusuke."

"Are we done here? A D class thief is hardly worth my precious time." The shorter male finally spoke.

"Get used to it Hiei. Like it or not, she is joining your team. However if she does refuse she will be spending more then 500 years locked up and guarded 24/7. I don't see her picking the latter option." Koenma leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

With a scowl Hiei vanished into thin air. Kurama chuckled as he followed Yusuke and Kuwabara out of Koenma's office.

* * *

Kitanoe shot straight up from her slumber. She was dripping with sweat and her chest was tight. She glanced at the clock to see it was 3 AM. Her heart rate increased as a quick panic overtook all of her senses. She was out of Roxy. She scoured the table looking for any trace and fell back onto the floor with her head in her hands. She felt sick as a nauseous feeling took hold. Kitanoe ran to the bathroom and wretched, merely dry heaving. Eating dulled her high, so she ate very little, and was able to vomit nothing. She took deep breath after breath before she calmed down from her state of panic.

She crawled back into the living room, having very little energy. She usually would have been knocked out for some time, but she was becoming immune to the effects of the Roxy and needed more and more each time. She fumbled around in the dark for her human cell phone and speed dialed Felix. "Now...Now Felix. I need double. Twenty minutes." She hung up the phone and went into spasms of shaking and nausea. She slipped on her shoes and hurried out of the door. The night air was cooling against her already sweating and clammy skin. Kitanoe placed the hood of her sweatshirt over her head and shoved her hands deep in her pockets as she began walking towards Kaidan, the local shopping center.

Everything was closed for the night. It was dark inside all of the stores and the only light came from the street lamps. She located the meeting destination just inside an alley way and leaned against the dirty brick wall and waited.

* * *

"I swear, Koenma has his head up his ass." Yusuke frowned as he walked down the road with Kuwabara by his side.

"Yeah he seems to have a thing for reforming criminals. Just look at Kurama and Hiei!" Kuwabara grinned. "Kurama is okay, but I still don't trust the shrimp!"

"Orders are orders I guess. " Yusuke sighed.

"You ass! You shorted me!" Came a loud screaming.

Yusuke and Kuwabara paused immediately as they looked straight ahead at their wanted criminal, yelling at a cowering demon.

"Honest it's all I had! I tried to tell you over the phone but you hung up on me!" Felix tried to explain. He had military cut brown hair, and purple eyes. He looked like a teenage boy and was scrawny like one. Kitanoe had him pinned to the wall by his throat.

"Well well well. Look who we have here!" Kuwabara announced their presence.

"You're going to have to come with us, by the orders of Spirit World." Yusuke said with a small smirk of triumph.

Kitanoe looked back and forth between the two detectives with wide eyes. Her heart rate quickened and her chest felt tight once more. She grabbed the pill bottle from Felix and pushed him into Kuwabara and started to run further into the alley. Kuwabara caught Felix and nearly tossed him aside just to follow Yusuke in the chase.

"You're just making this harder on yourself!" Yusuke yelled after the female demon.

"Fuck you!" Kitanoe snapped as she jumped from the building wall to the other building and soon found herself on the roof. All she needed was a place to hide. She quickly turned around and was met face to face with a crimson eyed demon.

"I dare you to say that to me." Was all he said before he hit her in the temple of her head with the hilt on his katana sword, knocking her unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use_ _Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter Two**

She awoke when she heard the voices of a heated argument. She sat up quickly and felt the quick stabbing pain that erupted from her temple. Kitanoe winced considerably causing her vision to blur slightly. She looked around her...prison? She couldn't be sure. She was in a white room, laying on a futon of some kind. There was a window. She leaped for it and was instantly thrown back against the opposite wall.

_The window is warded...that must mean the door is too..._

She thought to herself as she closed her eyes to try and figure out what was happening. Last thing she remembered was being chased by the detectives. Had they caught her? How did they even find her?

Her eyes went wide from realization. _Felix_. She glared. Kitanoe heard more yelling and decided to listen in and get a better understanding of where she was and what position she was in. She felt 3 demon energies. She frowned, sensing several human energies as well. Kitanoe could sense others but there were too many energies mixing together to tell.

"I am not some hotel for your criminals!" She heard a scratchy, irritated voice yell. That had to have been the fourth time Kitanoe had heard said voice yell about being a hotel service.

"Master Genkai, I assure you, this will be worth your time." It was an older voice. A male voice. One who spoke with confidence and regality. Kitanoe went wide eyed at the sudden realization that it was the Prince of Spirit World; Koenma.

"I am not here here to coddle and protect that girl, nor will I agree to it! I can not guarantee her safety or the fact that she would even stay here at all! As far as I am concerned, if you leave her here, she is free to go!" Kitanoe heard the Master Genkai speak the words of her freedom and was instantly hoping that Koenma would give in. The fates were not in her favor today.

"Yusuke and the others stay here too, do they not? For conveniences you have allowed them to use the right side of your temple, as well as training grounds and the forests. They will be responsible for her. I can assure you she will not be a burden."

"No. That is final. Use my land by the beach. There is a smaller but efficient temple there. Do not expect anything further of me Koenma. I am old, and I can't keep babysitting for you." She heard foot steps walking away and after that complete silence.

Her head began throbbing again and she weakly laid back down on the futon. As she shuffled with the blanket she heard something roll across the floor with a familiar rattle.

The Roxy.

She grabbed the bottle with desperate need and looked around the room. She really didn't have anything to crush it with, and popping the pills didn't have the same effect as snorting them. She glared at herself for having such weak self control, but if she is going to Spirit World Prison then she was going to use the Roxy while she had it. After a quick count, she realized she had about 75 out of a script of 120. She heard a knock on the door. With speedy hands she quickly re-bottled 70 of the pills and swallowed 5 just as the door opened.

"Kitanoe Jyoni. We finally meet."

"Lord Koenma, how unfortunate." Kitanoe glared.

"I have a proposition for you, and in my opinion it's paradise compared to 500 years in Spirit World's High Security Prison." He crossed his arms.

_500 years!?_ She paled as her eyes widened. "What crimes warrant 500 years! Tell me now!" Kitanoe knew she had been in quite a bit of trouble, but something was not right about those charges. There was a folder at her feet that had been casually tossed. Her eyes quickly scanned the warrants and accusations. She was unaware of more then half of the accusations, and was certain she was being falsely accused of most. Keeping that to herself she looked at Koenma. "What is your proposition?"

"You are to work for me. If you can recover what I ask of you, I will wipe your criminal history clean."

Kitanoe scoffed. "You want me to be a Spirit Detective?"

"Not exactly. You won't go on 'Save the World' missions. You will help me locate and recover thousands of lost and stolen relics, artifacts, anything that possesses a considerable threat or is a possible danger. We can't have these items getting into the wrong hands."

"You mean like mine? What makes you so sure you can even trust me? It's taken you this long to find me. What's to stop me from just disappearing again?" Kitanoe laid back on the pillow. She hoped Koenma would cut to the chase with this. Popping the pills wouldn't give her a big high, but enough to make her sleep for a few hours. She was feeling the effects of the Roxy already.

"Let's just say I have a knack for character judgment. By tonight, you and my other detectives will be relocated a few miles from here."

Kitanoe closed her eyes for a moment only to snap them wide open when she felt Koenma's hand on her ankle. She looked down and saw a ring of energy around her ankle. "What is that!?"

"It's a lot like a house arrest bracelet. Only I can control it's coordinates. It will let you go where I allow you to go. If you try and go outside the lines I have drawn it will electrocute you to match your demon energy. Not enough to kill you but enough to make a point. I may have good judgment in character but I have also been known for lack of, as well."

Kitanoe glared. "You're mad! Who said I even agreed to this?"

"You did. When you automatically didn't choose prison." Kitanoe thought she saw him smirk, but it was hard to tell with the pacifier in his mouth. She watched him leave and shut the door. She had half a mind to follow him, or at least try the window again.

Her eyes felt heavy as she stood up and walked over to the window. She hesitantly reached for the window with a slow and precise motion and was covered with tiny purple colored electric shocks. She winced as she pulled back and saw the burns that formed on her hands. She glared and stormed over to the door with her fists clenched. Kitanoe hesitated before grabbing the door knob and surprised that she could even touch it. She turned the handle slowly and watched the door open.

She peaked outside. First to the left, then the right. No one was in sight. She sensed out to where she could feel the energies. She could avoid them all together and make an escape! She yelped when she felt her ankle twitch from shock.

_I can't even think about leaving or it shocks me!? What am I!? Some mongrel!?_

She quickly found her way to the front of the temple where a few people were congregating. She glared at Koenma, her sapphire eyes were merely slits as she clenched her fists. Something inside her was driving this anger. Something she couldn't quite place. "You spoiled pompous ass! Take this thing off me this instant!"

Suddenly all eyes were on here. The two human detectives she recognized from last night. A male demon with long red hair. A blue haired demon with crimson eyes. The old woman she assumed was Genkai. The Grim Reaper. A crimson eyed male demon. The one who hit her last night. The one who got her trapped into this mess.

The Roxy was in her blood stream enough to cause a spike in adrenaline. That was the good thing about the little drug. If you were tired, you would sleep for hours. If you were full of other emotion such as anger, it would fuel you, but impair your judgment. Her demon aura was spiraling.

"You said she was a D class demon!" Yusuke glared at Kitanoe, although speaking to Koenma.

Koenma nodded. "That's all anyone was ever to assess from her." He sounded worried, and for good reason. It wasn't common his information was wrong. He turned and looked at a purple eyed demon that Kitanoe overlooked in her scan of the populous. "Felix! Why didn't you tell us!?"

Kitanoe looked instantly at Felix. The demon was shaking with fear. "So. It was you who informed them."

"I swear, I didn't know they would actually find you! I just wanted the reward money!" Felix was cowering now.

"I hope it was worth dying for!" Kitanoe started to approach him.

"Kitty! GAH-uh..." Felix was gasping for air. Kitanoe's arm was in-cased in ice sharpened to look like a sword. Blood ran down the ice and over her exposed arm and down to the ground. Felix lay in a pool of blood on the concrete. Life was leaving his eyes as the blood poured from his throat.

The crimson eyed female shrieked as she bent down to Felix and placed her hands over his neck. She worked quickly in attempts to heal the dying demon. He had lost far too much blood, but the healer continued to try.

"Well this is promising." Yusuke nearly stuttered.

"She killed her own friend! How do we even trust her to be a team mate!" Kuwabara was pale and panicked.

"Shut up." Kitanoe snapped as the ice melted off her arm. "I kill team mates who are traitors, and those who aren't loyal, like Felix. I'm not some barbarian who runs off and kills without justification." She glared at Kuwabara before turning to Koenma. "Recheck my file. More then half of those charges are false. "

There was a silence.

The red haired demon finally spoke. "Trying to prove your innocents although you have just killed in front of us is not a good way to begin this alliance."

"It's never been a crime for a demon to kill a demon, last I checked."

"She's right..." Koenma swallowed hard before speaking again. "I will recheck your file. Be ready for your first assignment a week from tomorrow. That should give you enough time to settle in to your new environment." Koenma quickly disappeared into a temporary portal.

The body on the ground was quickly starting to cause unease amongst the group. The red eyed male stepped forward and incinerated the body into nothing. Kitanoe couldn't help but notice that he and the girl had the same colored eyes. This one was quiet. Reserved. Very powerful. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand land on her shoulder. She spun around with every intention of attack, but saw it was the Grim Reaper.

"It's alright, Kitanoe. I understand this is difficult for you but the quicker everyone cooperates, the quicker we can move on to other things." She smiled brightly. "I'm Botan! Your guide to the River Styx!"

"I'm Yukina." The teal haired girl with red eyes smiled at her. She had a calming aura about her and she seemed completely over the death of Felix. What a strong female

"Well then since we are getting on with the introductions, I'm Yusuke. " Yusuke pointed at himself as if to state the obvious.

"The names Kuwabara..." Kuwabara spoke as if we were still slightly afraid.

"My name is Kurama, and this is Hiei." The green eyed, red haired, male looked down at the crimson eyed demon that was Hiei. Without saying a word he the demon name Hiei vanished into thin air. "Hiei is not a social person." Kurama added.

"And this here's the old hag!" Yusuke grinned down at Genkai only to be side kicked into the near by tree.

"This old hag can still mangle you." Genkai glared at Yusuke's twitching form on the ground.

Kitanoe was unsure. She felt welcome, but equally not so. Trust was a thing to be earned she soon realized with good reason. She had just killed in front of them. She started to feel panicked for the briefest moment. The Roxy was starting to wear off. Being half fire demon can burn the medicine right out of you. Demons treatment hospitals were the worst if you were a fire demon. They wouldn't waste an ounce of medication on you because it would all just dissipate within an hour. She noticed they were waiting on her to say something.

"Kitanoe. Tell me, is there somewhere I can rest for a few?" The pill bottle in her pocket was becoming heavy.

"Not for a few hours. Genkai made it clear she wants us to head out." Kuwabara answered. "Its a long trek out to the new place."

A few hours had been an understatement. Even had they been running it would have taken 4 hours. Walking there took 6 thanks to Kuwabara who whined every 10 minutes. Hiei was no where in site and Kurama and Yusuke were rambling on about Dark Tournaments or something. Yukina and Botan stayed with Genkai, so Kitanoe was the lone female in this group.

"Oh Finally!" Kuwabara ran up to the new temple. It was beyond huge! Much smaller then Genkai's temple, but this one wouldn't have an issue with elbow room. The sun was just setting on the ocean. The temple was concealed in the tree line directly in front of the beach where grass met sand.

"This is all Genkai's property. Koenma has made it so you can be on all parts with that bracelet." Botan spoke from behind Kitanoe. Kitanoe jumped.

"Where did you even come from!"

"Oh I flew here, see?" Botan extended her hand and an oar appeared. She sat on it gracefully and flew around for a brief moment before landing again. "I usually hang around and keep an eye on the boys. Shizuru and Keiko should be here soon as well."

"Who?" Kitanoe had a feeling she was going to need help remembering all these names. Her stomach felt queasy again. The bottle in her pocket was practically burning a hole in her thigh.

"Oh Kuwabara's sister and Yusuke's girlfriend. We're one big family!" Botan was just too chirpy for Kitanoe.

It was decided who would take what bedroom and soon Keiko and Shizuru came in with loads of groceries and other household necessities. Once in her room Kitanoe looked around. Her bed was an actual bed, not a futon, and a queen sized one at that with blue satin sheets. There was a closet with a dresser inside already stocked with clothes, and a desk in the corner of the room. Each room also had it's own bathroom.

"Amazing what Koenma can do with just a snap of his finger, isn't it?" Botan said from behind Kitanoe again.

"Botan! That's a good way to get your throat sliced!" Kitanoe jumped again.

Botan just laughed. "Oh, you'll get used to me. This is Keiko, and Shizuru. Ladies this is Kitanoe, the newest member of the team!"

Kitanoe looked the females over. Keiko was tall but beautiful. She had long chocolate brown hair that reached the middle of her and brown eyes. She looked so mature and serious. Shizuru had long hair as well, but a much lighter color, as were her eyes. She looked relaxed and bored with the situation.

"I'm Kitanoe." Was all she said.

"Well us girls are going to go start dinner! Yusuke and Kuwabara are in the living room playing video games if you need them. I have no idea where Kurama and Hiei are, but have fun settling in!" And with that Botan and her lady crew were gone. Her door was shut and she was alone.

Kitanoe slammed the pill bottle onto the desk and headed to the bathroom for a long shower. Once out, she brushed her long hair and brushed her teeth and dressed in loose black sweat pants and a white tank top. She quickly made work of the Roxy before laying on the bed and drifting into a much needed sleep**. **


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter Three**

"Is she dead?"

"No, Urameshi, I think she's just sleeping...But I don't want to get any closer to find out!"

"Don't wuss out on me now Kuwabara. Just shake her shoulder."

"OH No! I'm not falling for that! You're sacrificing me as bait so your head's not that one that gets sliced by her ice arm sword thingy!"

"Oh brother, give me a break." There was a shuffling of foot steps. "Hey! Kitanoe! You alive!" Yusuke shook the sleeping demon.

An arm reached out and grabbed Yusuke's arm. Kitanoe stared at Yusuke with deep fear in her eyes. Her breathing was labored and she was covered in an instant sweat. She released him instantly and brought her knees to her chest as she sat up. "Leave...Please leave!" Her voice cracked.

"Hey, whoa are you alright? Bad dream?" Yusuke didn't move an inch. "You've been asleep for 14 hours. It's 9 in the morning."

_My body's been without it for too long_. Kitanoe thought as she looked at Yusuke. "I'm alright. Just leave. Give me a few minutes."

"Hey what's this for?" She heard Kuwabara mumble by the desk, with her Roxy in his hand.

"Put that down!" Kitanoe leaped out of the bed, nearly stumbling as she snatched the bottle from Kuwabara. "It's for an infection from an injury I sustained not to long ago. Powerful stuff that shouldn't be ingested by humans." She quickly felt comfortable with her explanation.

"Oh. Did you get stabbed or eaten or something?" Kuwabara asked.

Kitanoe glared. "Something tells me you're not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. Does it look like I've been eaten?"

Yusuke laughed. Deep down to his soul, he laughed. "I think I'm going to like having you on the team, Kitty."

Kitanoe looked at him for a moment and decided not to correct him. She sighed. "I will be out in a minute." She waited for them to leave. Yusuke and Kuwabara made their exit and shut the door behind them. Kitanoe locked the door and grabbed a few random pieces of clothing and entered her bathroom, also locking that door. She placed 5 Roxy on the counter and proceeded to crush it into fine powder using the bottom of an unopened shampoo bottle. She glanced around and saw feminine magazines. Picking one up, she scoffed at the cover; beauty tips, what your man really wants, and how to please him in bed._ Is that really what human women read?_ She ripped out a page and folded it in half, then half again. She rolled up the paper until it was a tiny tube and used it as her straw. The powder was gone after about 2 minutes.

Kitanoe recapped the bottle and noticed how many were missing_. I don't even remember how much I took last night. _She placed the bottle on the sink counter and turned the shower on. The hot water was soothing in ways she couldn't explain. Her head felt light headed in a way she enjoyed. The numbing felt a lot like an arm or a leg falling asleep. She finished her shower and brushed her long hair before putting it up with a hair tie. Finally she dressed in a bright yellow tank top and black sweats that didn't go passed her knees. She was in a fighting mood today.

She walked out of her room and looked around. Sure enough, Yusuke and Kuwabara were outside trying to get the better of each other in grappling. Kuwabara was failing horribly. She walked passed the window and into the kitchen where she ate 2 red apples and a glass of something sweet. She didn't know what it was but she ended up drinking another glass. She stretched as she walked back out to where Yusuke and Kuwabara where. Yusuke had Kuwabara in a headlock and pinned to the ground.

"Say Uncle!" Yusuke smirked.

"N-Never!" Kuwabara gasped.

"Kuwabara push off ground with your hands!" Kitanoe snapped. "Use enough energy so that the momentum knocks Yusuke off of you!"

Kuwabara stared at her for a moment before using a little spirit energy to hoist his self up off the ground and elbowed Yusuke right off him. "Hey it worked! Thanks shorty!"

Kitanoe just smirked as Yusuke charged back at Kuwabara and grabbed his arm, tossing him into the ocean like a rag doll. Kuwabara spit and sputtered as he struggled to get out of the knee high water. "Hey no fair! I wasn't looking!"

Suddenly, adrenaline hit Kitanoe. She wanted to fight. "Yusuke." Kitanoe spoke with curiosity.

"Yeah?" He stared at her, unsure of her sudden interest.

"Spar with me." Kitanoe stood in a Goju Ryu stance called the Kokutsu Dachi. "Just hand to hand. No energy."

Yusuke smirked. "I won't go easy on you."

"I wasn't expecting any special treatment, Yusuke." Kitanoe almost grinned. It had been a long time since she had had a good sparring match. Her eyes went wide as she crossed her arms in front of her face to block Yusuke's punch. _He's fast! _She dug her feet into the ground as the blow forced her back. She ducked his next right punch and swept his legs from underneath him with her own. Yusuke quickly caught himself with his palm just as Kitanoe landed a black flip and charged straight at him. Yusuke stood up and charged at her.

Their punches landed on each other at the same time. Their movements were becoming harder and harder to follow. Blow after blow was matched until Kitanoe felt a familiar panic creep up her spine, distracting her enough for Yusuke to hit her face, sending her flying. She saw tunnel vision as she felt herself tearing into the tree and finally she hit something hard. A rock maybe?

Kitanoe laid there for a minute before struggling to stand up. Yusuke and Kuwabara ran to her, as did Botan and Kurama. Apparently they had attracted an audience. "What happened! Your eyes went totally blank but by the time I realized it, I had already hit you." Yusuke grabbed her hand to help her up. She was shaking and she could feel her muscles twitching. She grabbed her chest and fell back onto the ground writhing in pain. Kurama knelt down to her and felt her forehead for fever and had to snatch his hand away.

"She's practically on fire." Kurama worried.

"Is it cause of that infection?" Kuwabara looked at Kurama.

"Infection?" Kurama was now confused.

"Yeah she's got these pills on the desk, says it's special for demon infections." Yusuke looked at Kurama. "You know anything about this?"

"No. That's not even possible. Botan, go retrieve the bottle." Kurama asked Botan.

"N-No!" Kitanoe glared as her teeth clenched. She struggled to sit up, but breathing had become difficult. "I'm fine..."

Botan ignored her and ran back inside. However, it was Hiei who stood next to Kurama with the pill bottle. "I overheard your interesting dilemma. What's Percoset?" Hiei looked at Kurama as he handed him the bottle.

Kurama was suddenly stricken with worry. "How many of these did you take!"

"Doesn't...matter...mine..." Kitanoe's eyes felt heavy.

"What the hell!" Yusuke exclaimed. "I've heard of those! They give those to you at the HUMAN hospital when you're in a lot of pain! "

"Yes and our new friend here is having withdrawals." Kurama had no sympathy in his voice although he sounded nice enough. "Hiei, take her to her room. I am taking Yusuke and Kuwabara to find a plant that should ease her symptoms. Keep the bottle away from her."

Hiei glared. "I'm not babysitting."

"Well then you can go with Kuwabara and Yusuke to find the flower and I will take her to her room, if you'd prefer that."

Hiei glared as he knelt down to pick up the fight worn Kitanoe. She was trembling in his arms.

"We should be back within the hour. Have Botan call for Genkai and Yukina as well. We don't know what damage has already been done and she may need immediate healing assistance." Kurama ran towards the forests edge with Yusuke and Kuwabara at his heels.

"I heard everything, is she alright?" Botan approached Hiei with caution.

"She's passed out. It's a pity. But she's just as weak minded as any human. "

"Hiei, don't be so rash! We barely know the girl." Botan defended.

Hiei didn't say a word as he walked into the temple, turning right and then right again before getting to her room. He opened her door with his telepathy and placed her on her bed, not worried about being gentle. Her forehead had a sheen of sweat and her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she was gasping. He could see every muscle twitch. He stared at her for a few moments before going to her door and locking it. He removed the white bandana over his Jagan eye and peered into her mind.

_There was a girl. She was grinning with a large sack over her back as she ran from the guards. She looked much younger in this memory. She easily leaped into a tree and glided her way across the forest to a small stone cottage. She opened the door. Stolen goods were everywhere. Vases, art work, gold, jewels, statues. _

Hiei shifted to a different memory.

_Now she was scared. Slightly older. She screamed as she was thrown to the ground. She got back up and kept running and running. The one yelling at her kept calling her slave. He ensnared her with demon energy chains and watched her fall to the ground. He sat on top of her and punched her in the face until she was unconscious and dying._

Hiei glared as the memory changed again.

_She had another bag over her shoulder. She sat quietly in the tree as she watched her pursuers run underneath her and towards the sunrise. She held her breathe. She did not want to be caught by these two. A silver haired fox and his demon friend with a strange hat. She breathed a sigh of relief and stayed in that tree for days, too scared to move._

Hiei found the one memory he was looking for.

_Kitanoe was sitting on the bleachers of the Dark Tournament, watching the fights with interest. A demon, looking passed drunk leaned an arm on Kitanoe's shoulder. "Hey, you look to serious. Lighten up babe! Here, try these. " He handed her 2 oval shaped items._

_"What is this?" Kitanoe asked with interest._

_"Trust me. They make you feel invincible! See that feller down there?" He pointed to Toguro."You could beat him. They make you strong, love."_

_Without hesitation Kitanoe swallowed the pills. _

_She woke up hours later, beaten and naked with the "friendly" demon staring at her. She screamed when he and several others forced themselves on her. After they were done with her the demon threw a bottle of the pills at her. "They're good for pain too, sweet heart!" He laughed as he walked away._

Hiei was suddenly sucked into a whirlwind of her memories.

_She was running and scared. She looked back and saw the SDF. She stumbled before trying to climb a tree. She was weak and tired. One sliced down the tree and she screamed as she fell. They grabbed her arms and she used what was left of her demon aura to send ice shards and fire balls at the SDF. They released her as they screamed in pain. She ran as fast as she could. Running and running until she found the portal. She fell in and passed out on the other side._

_She woke up days later in the human world. She was in a grassy field. No buildings. She was searching the grass for something when a hand was extended to her. It was a human doctor. He handed her the bottle she had been searching for and introduced her to Felix._

_Suddenly Yusuke was there. They were fighting. She felt proud and in control for the first time in awhile. Thats when the chest pain started._

There was a knock on the door. Hiei recovered his Jagan eye and unlocked the door. He disappeared out the window before Kurama had time to turn the handle and walk in. He had crushed something up into a paste and slid a spoonful of it into Kitanoe's mouth. She swallowed hard as she tossed and turned violently. Yukina gasped when she entered the room.

"Can you heal her?" Yusuke asked from the doorway.

"I can try." Yukina was always the positive one out of their group. She rushed over to Kitanoe and placed her hands on her chest. Nothing happened. She tried again, and still nothing. "I'm sorry...I can heal her battle injuries but not this..." She looked at Yusuke and Kurama with apologetic eyes.

"Not to worry." Kurama started. "The medicine I have just given her will ease her discomfort, but will take some time."

"Give t-them back...please...please..." Kitanoe opened one eye to look at Kurama.

"That's not going to happen." Yusuke glared at her. "Look, I don't know if you're some kind of junkie or whatever but not anymore. My mother's a junkie drunk and I know what that shit does to you."

"Spare me the theatrics..." Kitanoe glared as she clenched her fist.

"We will let you rest." Kurama stood up and left the room with Yusuke and Yukina.

Kitanoe hugged herself, laying in a fetal position with her knees to her chest. She had tunnel vision and everything hurt. She wanted more then anything to vomit. She felt something tingling in the back of her head. It was calming. She closed her eyes and was instantly asleep. She also didn't dream. At last the nightmares would spare her for one night and give her peace.

Meanwhile, Hiei sat in the large tree along the forest line, calming her with the power of his Jagan eye. He looked down, sensing Kurama. He stayed quiet.

"Hiei. I sensed you as you were leaving Kitanoe's room. Your demon aura let me know you were using your Jagan eye. Did you see anything that might uncover the problem?"

"Hn. She's a normal demon with the same sick and tormented life the rest of us lived." Hiei closed his eyes as he leaned against the tree again.

Kurama almost chuckled. "Remember Hiei, everyone has a chapter in their life that they don't read out loud." Hiei opened his eyes again, just as Kurama was walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter Four**

Kitanoe felt a crushing blow to her face and her eyes watered. She opened her eyes and almost laughed as she realized she had rolled off the bed and onto the floor. Sitting up, she rubbed her nose and stretched. Her stomach was killing her and she was still shaky, but nothing had compared to what she felt yesterday. She stood weakly and within half an hour she was showered and dressed. She frowned when she looked for the Roxy and came up short.

She sighed. "Yeah, Stupid, cause they're just going to leave it somewhere for you to find." She scolded herself. She started to brush her hair when there was a knock on her door. "Uh...come in?" She almost questioned who would even be up this early. It was still dark outside.

"How are you feeling today?" It was Kurama. He looked much more kinder then he did yesterday. She didn't blame him.

"I feel sick, but not...needy." Kitanoe had trouble describing how she felt without the Roxy. Even if only for a few hours, this is the longest she'd been without it.

"I gave you something yesterday that would ease your symptoms. You need to take it every night before you sleep otherwise you will find yourself in misery." He leaned against the wall.

"I appreciate it, Kurama..." Kitanoe looked down at her hair brush before placing it on the desk. "Look, I don't expect you to understand, but I don't owe anyone an explanation." She looked into Kurama's emerald green eyes with her sapphire blue ones. "A lot has happened and I realize I can't keep going on the path I've been on. It's not going to be an over night thing and I am not going to promise anything. "

"Understood. However, my question more pertains to why you are using Human narcotics."

"Okay...Guess I could answer that one." Kitanoe walked over to her bed and sat down. "I like how they make me feel. I can hide my energy better. They make me feel...happy, relaxed, and powerful. Lately, I have needed more and more. I can take up to 40 a day, sometimes more. " She looked back at Kurama. "And to be honest, not having anything to be focused on, or addicted to is making me nervous and jumpy. I feel so paranoid. Koenma might have me focus on recovering his precious items, but what if he only needs me once a month? Then what do I focus on to keep my mind busy?"

Kurama stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought. "You said you felt sick. How?"

"My stomach hurts constantly. My head hurts too sometimes."

"Your symptoms are stronger then I realized." He mused.

Kitanoe nodded. They stayed there in silence for awhile before Kitanoe couldn't take it anymore. "Kurama, did you need something?"

"Yes." He answered. He walked over to her and sat down on the bed. "Occasionally, Hiei and I venture back into Demon World, to check on the situations in the Alaric and Gandara territories. Yusuke sometimes goes to Tourin but he has made prior engagements and won't be accompanying us this time. Koenma suggested that some time away to Demon World would do you some good, therefore has asked Hiei and I to take you, that is if you want to go."

"Are you asking because Koenma told you to? Or because you want to?" Kitanoe was unsure. "I'm not comfortable with being a third wheel, and if I have to hear Hiei say he's not babysitting one more time I am going to rip his tongue out."

"The minor details are not important. You're coming, now let's go. " Hiei stood in the door way with a glare. "The portal's been ready."

Kitanoe glared. "Who says I want to go back?"

"Your nightmares do. " Hiei retorted sarcastically.

Kitanoe was taken aback before she glared. "Stay out of my head, psycho!"

"Time is a pressing manner, Kitanoe. Would you like to go?" Kurama stood.

Kitanoe grabbed a hoodie that was given to her by Botan. It was a plain gray zip up hoodie, but she enjoyed it. She had her shoes on before they could blink and stood toe to toe with Hiei. "I'm going just to bother you. Have fun babysitting you miserable dick." She shoved passed him and followed Kurama back into the tree line and even further into the woods. They could still smell and hear the ocean from where they stood.

"Are you coming?" She heard Kurama say.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry." Kitanoe hurried over to a clearing.

"Kurama, this is already pointless. Her mindless day dreaming is going to get her killed." Hiei crossed his arms with a harsh glare on his face.

"Have faith, Hiei. " Kurama approached him with Kitanoe close by.

Just as Hiei was about to reply with a snark comment, a large portal appeared before them. It radiated heat and looked like a white swirling whirl pool. Hiei didn't hesitate and disappeared into the portal. Kurama nodded to Kitanoe, signaling her to go first. She looked away from Kurama and back at the portal. She inhaled deeply and held her breath as she stepped through. She landed gracefully next to Hiei. Kurama landed on his feet and looked around.

Kitanoe wasn't sure what the two male demons were doing, but they were standing still. She watched their eyes dart from side to side, as if they sensed danger. Kitanoe was more in awe to be back in the Demon World; to be back home. The wind that blew across her face was humid. The air smelled of steel weapons and blood. Her heart ached from the sudden home sickness she wasn't even aware she was suffering from.

"Kitanoe, what was the last thing you remember of Demon World?" Kurama asked.

"She doesn't. She didn't keep up with politics." Hiei glared.

"Stay out of my head!" Kitanoe snapped at Hiei.

"I see. To make a long story short, Raizen is dead, and Yusuke is now leader of Tourin. Mukuro and Yomi have also tragically passed, making Hiei and I the leaders of Alaric and Gandara. After Yusuke threw the last Dark Tournament to determine the King, a demon named Enki won and is now ruler of all Demon World. Yusuke, Hiei and I are still the leaders of the 3 territories, but we report to Enki and Koenma." Kurama explained.

Kitanoe just stared at them with wide eyes. She had half a mind to bow before them, or even curse in astonishment. She saw Hiei smirk again and she shot a glare his way before looking at Kurama. "So...why are you guys here now? "

"To keep rebels at bay." Kurama stated simply. "There are some who have not yet adjusted to the new laws, and are quite uncomfortable with the 3 of us being leaders considering we associate with humans. Not to mention, Yusuke is still part Human and although it sits well with Raizen's company, some of the others are not too thrilled. Yusuke opted to stay behind this time in hopes things will soon settle."

"Can we get on with it?" Hiei snapped, growing increasingly impatient.

"Okay, so what do you need me for?" Kitanoe asked curiously.

"Koenma thinks that the specific outskirts of the cities we are patrolling today will have some items that will interest you. If you find any, you'll need to give them to Koenma." Kurama tossed her a purple bag, no bigger than her palm. "It's an enchanted bag. It will carry anything you put in it, no matter how heavy or the quantity. Keep it safe."

Kitanoe was more then confused as she stared at the enchanted bag in her hands. Without a word she watched Hiei and Kurama start running and she followed close by. They came across a camp site with the fire still going. There was a cast iron cauldron over the fire and the smell of food signified someone was here and cooking. Kitanoe could see 2 tents. "I'll go take a look." Kitanoe whispered.

"The hell you will!" Hiei argued.

"Koenma hired me for a reason! It's because I know how NOT to get caught!"

"Hn. You weren't that hard to catch last time I checked."

Kitanoe just glared and dashed behind one of the tents. She looked left, and then right before coming around to the front. The first tent was empty. Nothing in it but a small make shift cot for sleeping. She dashed to the other tent and there slept a large demon. He looked human, but his aura stated otherwise, and the smell was hideous.

_2 tents; 1 empty, 1 occupied. Food on the fire. Someone will be returning any minute_. Kitanoe assessed the situation in her head. She turned to leave when something caught her eye. It was gold. A full chest of gold and jewels. Next to the chest on the floor was a sword, and a vase, and some sort of mask. She opened up the bag and put the chest, vase, and mask into it. As Kurama promised, the bag weighed nothing and still fit into her palm. She grabbed the sword and dashed out, jumping high enough into a tree just as she sensed the other demon approaching.

She could see Hiei and Kurama but they didn't seem to see her. _Look up! _She yelled at Hiei, hoping his telepathy picked her up. His crimson eyes stared at her. He mumbled something to Kurama and he soon spotted her too. She grinned and flashed a peace sign. _They aren't powerful. I think they are just passerby. _

_Hurry and get back over here. We have other things to tend to. _Hiei glared from across the way_._

_Babysitting, remember? This is going to be a long trip, Hiei, and I suggest you get used to it._

Night fall fell several hours later. They had been in Demon World all day, and Kitanoe was able to retrieve items from several camps and even 1 fortress they managed to break into. It was completely abandoned and full of treasures. Hiei and Kurama built a fire in the cave they were staying in for the night, which was seconds work for them. Kurama conjured plants and Hiei set them on fire. Kitanoe entered the cave carrying several fish she had just acquired from the nearby river. "I don't suppose either of you are hungry?" Kitanoe asked tiredly. Her body was feeling the effects of withdrawal, but she seemed less phased with it then before. There was a new happiness about her.

Kurama smiled and thanked Kitanoe and her offered to fillet and cook the fish, which she greatly appreciated. She opened up her little enchanted bag and pulled out 3 cots that she had stolen from the last camp. Kurama chuckled. "You are the resourceful one aren't you?"

"Well, when you guys said we would be here for a few days I figured I might as well steal some supplies while I was at it. I can't tell you how much I've missed this. The Demon World, the hunt, the adrenaline. It's more then I could have asked for. I am grateful for you, Kurama. You too, Hiei." She looked at the fire demon who was standing at the entrance of the cave.

Hiei didn't say anything, but Kitanoe just shrugged. Sometime later they were eating about 3 fish each and damn, Kurama could cook! Kitanoe was completely exhausted by the time she laid her head down. She swallowed the awful concoction Kurama invented for her symptoms and fell asleep without another thought.

Hiei sat next to the fire with his sword next to him. He stared into the red and orange embers before glaring at Kurama. "You can stop staring any minute now. "

Kurama looked away innocently. "I have no earthly idea what you're referring to, but I was curious to know if you were going to keep away her nightmares again."

"Hn." Hiei leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, not bothering to answer Kurama.

* * *

It was dark in the cave and everyone was asleep. The fire was going out and it was becoming rather cold. Kitanoe woke up and looked around sleepily. It was still dark out, probably 3 or 4 in the morning at least. She removed the thin blanket from her self and grabbed her sword. Paranoia swept over her as she approached the cave entrance. She looked around and saw nothing. The night was silent. Not even an owl. She swallowed hard as she stepped outside the cave and took it upon herself to scout out the area. She searched the area for 2 hours and found nothing as she came back to the cave. The sun was rising for the day, and Kurama and Hiei would be awake soon. Kurama looked so human in his sleep. No one would ever suspect him of being a demon. Hiei looked human as well, but still fierce, almost as if he could kill in his sleep.

Kitanoe sighed as she laid back down on her cot and closed her eyes. She heard a noise as a pebble fell on top of her forehead, and she snapped her eyes open and was staring into the large red eyes of a demonic spider. She had half a mind to scream but instinct took over. She grabbed her sword and hurled it at the demon spider. She heard the thick slice and tearing as the sword speared through the demons large abdomen. The demon wailed which woke Hiei and Kurama. Kitanoe jumped out of the way just in time as the spider fell and curled into a ball, twitching until it's last breath. Kitanoe panted heavily as Kurama helped her to her feet.

"Are you alright!?"

"Yeah...Just startled."

She watched as Hiei walked over to the spider and removed her sword from his flesh before he set it ablaze with just his palm. "We need to move. Yesterday was easy work in Gandara. Alaric won't be so passive." He tossed her her sword and she caught it easily. She smirked, ready for a new day in Demon World.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter Five **

Kitanoe dodged the sword coming for her abdomen with a back flip. She quickly pulled her hand back, charging it with a red energy before punching the demon between the eyes. She lit him on fire and watched him scream for mercy. She glanced back at Kurama who had several of his own targets ensnared in a mess of vines. Hiei couldn't be found because he was moving to fast. In fact, the only reason Kitanoe even knew he was still around was because of the screaming and death she heard from his own targets. Kitanoe winced as she was knocked into the nearest tree. She hated being caught off guard. She stood up and rolled out of the way quickly just as a large axe was brought down. The tree she was just leaning against was split in half. Kitanoe grabbed her sword and threw it at the 12 foot tall demon warrior. She pierced it's heart and had to dodge the body as it fell to the ground.

"Are you alright?!" Kurama ran over to her. Glancing back, Kitanoe could see the bodies of Kurama's enemies.

"Yeah." Kitanoe stood up. Thankfully she only had minor wounds. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Hiei landed next to her.

"This was an ambush. They have become accustomed to our patrol schedule." Hiei said as he sheathed his sword with quick motion. Kurama just nodded.

"So, now what?" Kitanoe asked after few minutes of silence.

"We push forward and continue." Hiei snapped.

"Hiei, we should rest. Kitanoe isn't used to-" Kurama had started.

"I can do whatever he can do!" Kitanoe pointed at Hiei. "Lead the way oh fearless leader!" Kitanoe, who was certain she was glaring at Hiei, was suddenly on her back and facing the sky with a sword pressed into her neck. The blade bit into her skin and started to draw blood.

"If you want to live, girl, I suggest you drop the sarcasm." Hiei glared.

Kitanoe stayed brave as she glared back. Through gritted teeth, she spoke. "Baby. Sitting. " She felt the sword press deeper into her neck. The warm trickle of blood rolling down her neck and shoulder and onto the grass was enough for Kurama.

"Hiei, we need to press on if you want to reach Mukuro's Fortress by nightfall."

"Hn." Hiei removed the sword from Kitanoe's neck and started walking away from the two.

"You'll get used to Hiei. " Kurama helped Kitanoe up with swift ease. Kitanoe followed Hiei, glaring at the back of his head the entire time. Kurama chuckled as he followed his team mates.

Hiei and Kitanoe had been in petty arguments that entire day. She was exhausted and it was getting harder and harder to conserve her demon energy. She felt Hiei was purposely leading them into danger. Ever since he saw her kill that demon spider in the cave early that morning, he had been watching her fighting technique. He wouldn't admit it, but Kitanoe knew what he was doing. She would catch him watching her mid battle. He would argue and purposely push her buttons to check her temper and judgment. Kitanoe was sick of it.

_I don't know what your game plan is, but I am not some toy! You can't keep walking into situations like this, you'll get one of us killed!_ Kitanoe snapped, hoping he heard her. She was no telepath, but she knew when someone was inside of her head.

_If anyone dies, it'll be you. I'm surprised you've lasted this long._

_You're purposely leading us in the direction of the Rebels! You're watching me, I'm not stupid!_

_Stupid is not the word I would use. Disgraceful is more appropriate. First you hide in the Human World and you stay hidden like a coward. Then you become an addict on Human medicinals. Do I need to say more?_ Hiei's voice inside her head was harsh and judgmental.

_Shut up! You know nothing of what I've been through_-

_I already know everything. I can read your mind. I can go through your memories like an open book. I can watch your nightmares as they play out. _

Kitanoe was about to snap at Hiei when the ground shifted from under them. It was more then an earth quake as the ground began splitting and roaring beneath them. Hiei and Kurama jumped from rock to rock to get to more sturdy ground. Kitanoe followed and was nearly crushed between two large boulders that came from the ground. She landed next to Kurama and Hiei and the three burst into a fast run. The earth quake was following them.

"Something is chasing us!" Kurama made the connection.

"Oh great, is this another one of your tests Hiei!?" Kitanoe snapped. The ground caved from under them and they went down.

* * *

Kitanoe woke up dazed before she looked around hurriedly. They were in a dark wet cave. Nothing was moving, but she could hear water dripping. The ground was not shattering like she last remembered. She glanced next to her and saw Hiei on the ground, still unconscious. Kurama was a few feet away in the same position. Only because he was closer, she crawled over to Hiei. She felt a deep pain in her right side and nearly cried out as she moved. She grabbed her side as she shook Hiei with her other hand. "Wake up! Hey!" He was out cold. She crawled over to Kurama and had no luck with him either. Panic started to set it.

Kitanoe took a deep breath and winced at the pain in her side. She didn't have her sword either considering she left it in the heart of the demon she threw it at. She opened her palm and conjured a small fire to illuminate the cave. She couldn't see the sky, just cave stalagmites, as she looked up. The cave was large enough and appeared to have many passages. It smelled damp, almost moldy. She stood up and gasped as her right side exploded with pain. She held out her shaky hand holding the flame and began looking for a way out.

She was scared. Her two stronger team mates were unconscious, and probably injured just as she was. She was alone and wandering in cave with a flame she was creating with the last of her energy. She felt like a dumb ass entirely, but this was the alternative to sitting down waiting to be rescued like some fairy tale princess.

She followed one of the narrow paths, still only hearing the faint drip of the water. Everything in her vision was black. The walls were black, the floor and the ceiling were black, and she couldn't see in front of her or behind her. There wasn't any light. She felt her heart racing as paranoia started to set in.

_Not the right time to have a phobia of the dark_. She noted to herself. It took almost 5 minutes for her to realize that she couldn't hear the water anymore. She almost didn't breathe. She didn't hear anything at all until her face was pushed into the cave wall. She yelped as she felt blood run down into her eyes and face. She struggled against her assailant but they only grabbed her hair by the fist full and slammed her head into the hard rock wall.

"Where are they!?" The voice screamed in her ear. It was a male voice. She glared in the dark and stayed quiet. Her head was slammed into the wall as a result. She whimpered as more blood ran into her eyes."Where. Are. They!? I want the 3 of them! They will die!" The male sounded desperate. Evil and desperate.

"W-Who?" Kitanoe spoke slowly.

"Those Human lovers. The new Lords! They must die! They all must die!" His voice sent chills down Kitanoe's spine.

"I don't know who you're talking about-AH!" Her face was crushed into the wall several more times before she was released. She fell to the floor and was kicked repeatedly. She felt her already broken ribs starting to crack and shatter.

"Start. Talking!" The voice spoke.

Kitanoe didn't say a word. She didn't even think about Hiei, Kurama or Yusuke, in case this male was also a telepath. Instead she thought of random things. Colors. Fruits. Flowers. Anything. She coughed up what she knew was blood from the metallic taste in her mouth. She felt herself get kicked onto her back and instant panic set in when the male was on top of her. He had her hands above her head, bruising her wrists. She struggled against him when he sent electricity into her body, shocking her painfully. She screamed as she writhed from under him. She felt claws caress her cheek and down her neck and slowly heard the tearing sound of her shirt. He sent more power into his attack and she screamed louder. The pain was too much, and she let tears spill from her eyes.

"Ready to talk yet?" He asked, but all he received was her screaming. "Are you a Human lover too? Are you that ready to die for those fools?"

Kitanoe used what energy she had to freeze his hands. The electricity stopped instantly as the male was confused and caught off guard. He slapped her across the face, shattering the thin ice from his left hand, and then his right. He wasted no time in pulling her pants down. She fought him and kicked as hard as she could but she was so weak from his previous attacks. She couldn't breathe because of her broken ribs. She shut her eyes tightly and yelled out when she felt him inside of her. She felt sick and weak. She would have rather died. She tried everything to ignore his moans as he rocked himself back and forth inside of her. She struggled from under him as the friction started to burn her. He grabbed her throat with his free hand and started electrocuting her all over again. She couldn't breathe to scream, and her vision was blacking out.

The electricity stopped. The thrusting stopped. She heard a gasping noise followed by something falling to the floor. She felt someone else reaching for her as she fell unconscious.

* * *

Kitanoe woke up back in her bed, in Human World. She sat up quickly and her vision spotted. The amount of pain she was in was unlike anything she had every felt. She jumped and nearly screamed when Botan opened the door to her room, followed by Yukina. They both gasped when they looked at her. Not a word was spoken as Yukina sat down by Kitanoe's bed side and placed gentle cool hands on her rib cage. Yukina used all of her energy to heal Kitanoe, but the injuries were too extensive. Her face was still bruised, but no longer swollen and bleeding. Her ribs were no longer broken, but still bruised and sore. Her other wounds were not bleeding but she felt deep pain from inside her. She had burns on her bruised wrists, and her throat from the electricity she endured. She was taken by surprise when Yukina hugged her.

Kitanoe fought back tears as she hugged her back. She hated feeling weak but she knew at this moment she was. Realization soon hit her and she looked at Botan. "Hiei? Kurama?" Her voice was hoarse.

Botan choked back tears. "Oh you brave thing. They're both just fine. They brought you back and are waiting to hear how you're doing. Are you alright?" Her eyes watered.

Kitanoe had to look away. If anyone started the water works she would be sure to follow. "I'm alive. I hurt every where but I can breathe better now. Mentally I'm a train wreck."

"What happened?" Yukina asked quietly as she pulled away from the embrace.

All the air was knocked out of Kitanoe's lungs at the question. She was in shock. Surely Hiei and Kurama knew? She'd been half naked when they found her! Hiei would have read her mind and told Kurama. _They're being discreet for me! _She thought. The gesture of kindness was too much, and Kitanoe covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. Botan and Yukina cried with her but didn't ask anymore questions.

Botan helped Kitanoe take a bath while Yukina went to ask Kurama about fast healing plants. The amount of dried blood that rinsed into the tub was astonishing. Botan had to empty and refill the tub 3 times. Kitanoe brought her knee's up to her chest while Botan sat on the edge of the tub to keep her company. "Everything hurts..." Kitanoe spoke softly, almost child like.

"I know, sweetie." Botan said soothingly.

"I was protecting them. Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke." Kitanoe's voice was so quiet.

"What do you mean?" Botan asked quietly.

"The demon...he wanted to know where they were. He wanted them to die. I wouldn't tell him. I wanted to prove my loyalty..." Kitanoe had to fight back tears as Botan listened. "It was so dark...I just wanted to find a way out."

"Kitty...did he...?" Botan didn't know how to ask the question. Kitanoe just nodded.

Botan helped her wash her hair before helping her out of the bath tub. Kitanoe was even to weak to get dressed on her own. Botan helped her get into a baggy blue shirt and gray shorts. She was brushing Kitanoe's long dark hair on the bed when Yukina came back in with a bowl. There was a liquid in it. Yukina helped Kitanoe drink it.

"What was that..." Kitanoe made a face of disgust.

"Kurama made it for you. To help with the healing. " Yukina smiled. Kitanoe nodded and sighed. Another knock at her door, and Keiko and Shizuru came in with food and something to drink. Kitanoe wasn't hungry in the least but to be polite she ate anyway. The drink they provided was much appreciated.

"Thank you...all of you." Kitanoe spoke to the 4 close knit girls.

"Us girls have to stick together." Shizuru spoke as she opened the window and lit a cigarette.

"Usually we are tending to the boys." Keiko started. "It's nice to help someone who is actually appreciative."

They stayed for another half hour, talking away with mindless girl chatter, before they decided to call it a night. Kitanoe didn't realize how tired she was until she was alone. The lights were off so she laid down on her bed and sighed. Her muscles started to relax when she remembered her window was still open thanks to Shizuru. She sat up and stifled a scream. Hiei was standing in her room. She was flooded with relief and confusion. "...Hiei? Are you okay?"

He crossed his arms. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it immediately. Kitanoe was waiting for a crude or sarcastic comment but it didn't come. Instead, he asked, "Why didn't you give away our positions and spare yourself this agony?"

Kitanoe was not expecting that one. "Okay...Because you're my team mate? Because I wanted to prove my loyalty?" She thought she was finished but she kept talking. "I am disposable." She noticed Hiei was not expecting that answer either. "If the world was to be engulfed in peril, it would need you, and Kurama and Yusuke. I couldn't save the day, I can't even save myself. What good would I be? What's one life compared to millions?" She saw Hiei open the window wider and she reached out for him. "Wait! Don't go! I need to know what happened. Where was that place we were at? What happened after I passed out?"

Hiei sat in the window and closed his eyes with his arms crossed. "Go to sleep. I'll keep your nightmares at bay. You can get the details from Kurama later."

Kitanoe sat there staring at him for a few minutes before she laid back down slowly and painfully as she closed her eyes. She hoped she would be almost healed by morning so she could breathe. She fought sleep for a few minutes because she wanted her questions answered but she was to tired to fight with Hiei. Kitanoe slept soundly through the night; not because Hiei was keeping her nightmares away, but because he was there in her room to protect her.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter Six**

Something was drilling into her head on both sides. The pain was excruciating as she opened her eyes and was blinded with sun light. She groaned as her migraine throbbed. Kitanoe sat up slowly and looked to her window to see that Hiei was still there! He was still sleeping, which shocked Kitanoe. What shocked her most was that her bottle of Roxy was on the floor, as if it casually fell from Hiei's pocket.

_That's right! Hiei took them from me! _Realization hit her. She shook with anticipation as she quietly got out of the bed and crawled across the floor with the stealth of a Shinobi, and the silence of death. She swallowed hard when she reached her hand out for the bottle and yelped when a sword was stabbed inches into the floor, stopping her from going further. The sword almost cut the tips of her fingers off, it was that close! Kitanoe looked into the angry crimson eyes that were Hiei's and winced. "I have a bad migraine." She didn't lie. He just continued to glare down at her, not saying a word. She sighed, defeated, and sat up.

She sat there in silence for what seemed liked hours. Hiei finally moved as he opened her bathroom door. She watched him with confused eyes when she realized his intentions. "Hiei, don't!" She jumped up and dashed into the bathroom just as he opened the Roxy bottle and tossed the remaining pills into the toilet. He flushed them with a glare, and to add insult to injury he tossed her the empty bottle. She was shaking and angry. "You're an ass." She cursed him.

"You don't seem as angry as I expected." Was his glorious start to conversation. She was equally just as shocked as he was.

"Maybe I didn't want them as much as I thought, but I'm still pissed off." She turned to leave the bathroom, feeling awkward to even be in there at the same time as Hiei. She caught her reflection in the mirror and noticed most of her bruises were gone. She still looked like a mess, but she figured with a little more healing she would be looking like her normal self in no time.

"We were chased by a Demon World Tunneler. " She jumped when Hiei started talking. It took her longer then she liked to admit that he was explaining what happened the day before. She thought that Tunnelers were just myths; large creatures that could bury themselves into any terrain and create tunnels and earthquakes. Mountains have been destroyed, and oceans have been deepened, due to these monsters. "They chased us into Tourin when the ground collapsed. Kurama woke up first and noticed you were gone. He heard you screaming and had me use my Jagan eye to locate you." He stopped talking after that.

"I don't understand why they want you dead so badly. " Kitanoe leaned against the sink. She thought a minute before walking out and sitting on her bed, remembering the awkwardness of the bathroom. She sighed. "Hiei, I need to ask...You were leading us into those fights before so you could gage my ability but did you purposely lead us to the Tunnelers?" She watched him walk back into her room and lean against the wall.

"If you're asking if I knew we would be ambushed under a collapsed cave, my answer is no. If you're asking if I knew you would be _raped_, then my answer is, again, no." He spat the word out, angry. "I sensed them coming and lead you and Kurama in the opposite direction, but our energies sent out a signal and they followed it. Kurama was the one who told me they were Tunnelers."

Kitanoe nodded and looked at Hiei. There was sadness and shame in her sapphire blue eyes. "Thank you for not telling the others. Thank you, and Kurama too, for saving me. I really hadn't intended for you to actually baby sit." She spoke the last sentence quietly. Hiei stayed quiet and leaned against the wall. After a few minutes of silence he let himself escape out of her open window.

Kitanoe felt relieved that he was gone. She didn't want him to baby sit anymore. He had done his job and she was alive because of it. She stood up and decided to take a shower.

It was noon when she finally left her bedroom. The girls sat at a dining room table with chairs instead of traditional mats, which struck Kitanoe as odd. They drank coffee and laughed at some story Keiko was telling about Yusuke. In the other room sat Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara. They were playing some sort of game on the TV. It wasn't until she approached them that she discovered Kurama was reading instead of participating in the game. "Hey..." She spoke quietly as she stood next to the couch. Kurama looked in her direction just as Yusuke and Kuwabara paused the game they were playing. "Just wanted to say thanks for the other day...and for the medicine you gave Yukina to give to me. "

"You're quite welcome. How are you feeling?" Kurama placed his book down and stood up. He inspected her faded bruises, and saw that her open wounds were almost scars now. Kitanoe took this moment to realize how much taller Kurama was compared to her. She was just under eye level with Hiei, who she discovered was 5'2" without his spiky hair, not 4'10" as Koto stated at the Dark Tournament. She stood at 5 feet, so Kurama was at least 6'3". She could only imagine Kuwabara's height. That human was a giant. "Kitanoe?" Kurama pulled her from her mindless thinking.

"I ache, but I feel just fine." She excluded the part about trying to get the Roxy from under Hiei's watch. She had a feeling Hiei already told him because he had 2 different herb mixtures ready for her to take. One was for the healing and one for the withdrawal symptoms. She thanked him and turned to walk into the kitchen. She made herself some coffee and surprised the girls when she sat down with them at the table. They allowed her to stay quiet and listen to their mindless girl chatter. Keiko would talk about Yusuke and how she wanted to settle down now that she was half way through college. Yukina talked about finding her long lost brother and how she knew she was close to finding the answer to his whereabouts , and how Kazuma had proposed to her. Kitanoe had to interrupt to find out who Kazuma was and nearly choked out her coffee when she was told that that was Kuwabara's first name. Shizuru talked about living in the moment, how she only ever loved one man. Botan whined about not having the time for true love, and that Koenma always kept her busy. She slipped and mentioned how handsome Koenma was when he was in his adult form. Apparently he was using that transformation much more often, especially around Botan.

"Maybe he likes you and is trying to impress you." Kitanoe sipped on the last of her coffee and noticed all the girls were staring at her.

"You really think so, Kitty?" Botan sounded hopeful.

"Think about it. He is always calling for you, keeping you busy. Maybe he doesn't want you to have time for anyone else because he wants to have that time with you. As far as the transformation goes, its obvious. You can't have a relationship with a toddler. Just ask him next time you see him." Kitanoe saw the hope in Botan's eyes.

"What about you? Do you have someone special, Kitty?" Keiko asked as she smiled. Now all of them were listening closely.

Kitanoe blushed slightly but shook her head no. She stood up and placed her coffee mug in the sink and washed it out before drying it and putting it away. She walked down a hall way she hadn't explored yet and realized this must be the side of the house that the boys slept in. She opened a random door and was surprised to see it was a training room full of weapons. She saw swords, daggers, clubs, axes, bow and arrows, everything you could think of. She instantly went with the bow and took it outside.

The sun warmed her cool skin. She closed her eyes as the breeze flowed through her hair. She walked around back and out into the woods when she felt her ankle get shocked harshly. She fell back and landed on her ass, slightly panicked. She had forgotten about Koenma's little house arrest bracelet. _Koenma must have changed the coordinates again._ It had honestly scared her to death considering the amount of electrocution she had just endured from being tortured by that demon. She didn't want to risk getting shocked again, and the fear of it pissed her off as she walked back to the beach.

She looked around and decided to make a homemade disk launching device so she could do some target practice. She found a rock and a plank of drift wood that she placed together to look like a catapult. She then took the time to gather sea shells and had accumulated a decent pile. She placed a large sea shell on the end of the plank closest to the ground and loaded her bow with an arrow. Drawing her arm back she stepped on the high end of the plank, launching the shell into the air. She shot her arrow and watched the direct hit shatter the shell into tiny pieces. She did this several times until she was out of shells and arrows. Kitanoe walked along the beach and started to retrieve her arrows when she could sense the presence of someone following her. She drew her bow and pointed an arrow at Hiei.

Kitanoe frowned and lowered her bow. "I could have shot you."

"Not likely, but you're welcome to try." Hiei smirked.

Kitanoe's excitement sparked a new rush of adrenaline. Finally, she had a challenge. "Don't hold still." She smirked. She fired the arrow and Hiei disappeared to the left. She fired again and he was suddenly at her left. He wasn't dodging in a pattern she could predict and follow. She went to grab another arrow and came up empty.

"Your turn to dodge." Hiei proclaimed as he started to run at Kitanoe.

Out of instinct Kitanoe pulled the string back on the bow. She conjured up a flaming red arrow using her Demon Energy and released the bow string just as Hiei was in front of her. It went straight through his right shoulder and knocked him backwards. He skidded across the sand and landed in the shallow part of the ocean. Kitanoe threw the bow down and ran to him as he started to stand up. His shoulder was bleeding and his shirt was torn beyond repair. "Hiei! I didn't mean to do that!" She stopped when she caught his glare.

"Since when can you conjure weapons?" Was his response.

"I've practiced before, in the past, but that was a long time ago. I still struggle on occasion." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Can you only conjure arrows?"

"As of right now? I have 2 weapons. The arrow you just saw, and the ice sword you watched me kill Felix with. "

"Try something else. " Hiei demanded.

"Now? Right now?" She asked. Hiei nodded. She stared at her palm and concentrated as hard as she could. She ended up trying for several hours due to Hiei's relentess demeanor. Sweat beaded her forehead and she fell to her knees, breathing heavily. "I can't. "

"Try again." Hiei crossed his arms. He was still standing in the shallow ocean. Blood stained his shoulder.

"I can't! What do you want from me!" Kitanoe snapped. She was angry that her calm training session was turning into a brutal beat down.

"Stop making excuses!" Hiei snapped. Kitanoe glared as she stood up. Anger fueled her as an orb of fire encircled with spirals of ice filled her hand. She threw it at Hiei and her eyes widened at the massive explosion she had just caused. Everything went by in a blur as Hiei used his speed to tackle Kitanoe into the sand to cover her from the blast, but the attack proved too powerful as they were flung into the woods with tremendous force.

Kitanoe felt the pain in her ankle as it grasped her leg and soon her whole body. The bracelet had activated and was shooting powerful electric shocks through her body. Panic set in even after she was lifted into Hiei's arms. The world sped passed her vision and soon the electrocution had stopped. She smelled blood and looked up to see Hiei staring down at her. She was shaking and didn't realize she had grabbed his blood stained shirt. Her knuckles were white as she held onto it for dear life. "Why do you keep saving me?"

"Why do you insist on being in danger?" He responded.

There was an awkward silence between them for a few minutes. Kitanoe was still shaking when Hiei walked back to the temple with her in his arms. She didn't question why he seemed to know the exact location of her window when he opened it. He set her down in her room and left in a hurry. Kitanoe was confused until she looked out her window and saw Hiei talking to a frantic Yusuke and Kuwabara by the ocean. Kurama was there too but he looked less worried then the others.

_He must be explaining my stupidity and anger problems_. Kitanoe thought. She frowned at the idea and fell on her bed, exhausted. She knew she had to learn how to control her temper. Her mind began to wonder and thought about leaving her window open in case Hiei wanted to come back. Truth was she liked having him around. He kept her mind focused. It's not like she could day dream or think about anything she pleased when he was around, he could read her mind. She had to be careful, although she was convinced he already knew all the nitty gritty details of her life. She felt safe with him, and would go as far as to say she would be most loyal to him out of the group. She thought about Keiko's question from this afternoon. It was true, she didn't have anyone special.

She smacked herself on the forehead.

_You only work with him. He saved you several times, and he helps you train. You are not crushing on the fire demon. Although he is handsome. He does keep you on your toes. God he pisses me off! Who does he think he is!? What makes him the boss of me! He can't just assess my skills and train me as he pleases! I am a strong independent demon female! Oh, but he did stay in my window all night, and that was nice I guess._ Kitanoe argued back and forth with herself. She felt her ankle throb and she winced as she looked down at it. She sat up and sighed as the wound started to burn and sting. She was in shock up until now and hadn't noticed it. She also hadn't noticed Hiei was sitting in her window again.

"How long have you been there!?" Kitanoe nearly fell out of her bed.

"Long enough to hear you argue with yourself."

Kitanoe blushed deeply and was speechless. She watched Hiei climb through her window the rest of the way and close it when he was inside her room. She watched him walk over to the bed and sit next to her. He glared when he looked at her ankle. "Tell me again why Koenma put that device on you?"

"To keep me from leaving..."

"Hn." Hiei placed a hand on the burns and she winced measurably. Being the S class fire demon that he was, Hiei was able to draw the heat out of the burns. Kitanoe had to blink twice and wasn't sure of what she was seeing.

"Are you...Are you healing me!?"

"Hush, female." Hiei glared at her. "If you say a word to anyone, I will slice out your tongue and feed it to you. " He threatened as he pulled his hand back.

"How?" Kitanoe was stunned.

Hiei shrugged as he leaned against her headboard.

"Don't shrug, tell me!" Kitanoe frowned.

"I'm half Koorime. My mother was an ice maiden." Hiei's tone made it clear he wasn't going any further with the conversation.

Kitanoe stared at him for a few long minutes before looking down at her ankle. He had done a great job. Her ankle wasn't even numb or tingling. "Thank you." She looked back at the male fire demon when a nagging thought came to mind. _Yukina is an ice maiden from Koorime looking for her lost brother...and they have the same eyes...Oh God, Hiei is Yukina's brother!_ Her eyes grew wide and was about to say something when Hiei stopped her.

"Say that out loud. It also warrants the harsh removal of your tongue." Hiei glared. He was always glaring.

Kitanoe sighed and boldly laid her head on Hiei's shoulder. She felt him tense up, but she didn't care. He was, after all, in HER bed. As far as she was concerned he was fair game to be used as a pillow. She didn't realize how exhausted she was until she closed her eyes. The sun was setting and created a beautiful orange sky. She jumped when there was a knock on her door. Hiei was still in her bed, sitting next to her with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. It was also dark outside.

_How long was I asleep?_

_About 3 hours_. Hiei answered her telepathically.

Kitanoe yawned and got up off the bed to answer her bedroom door and was not surprised to see Botan. Botan was smiling as ever and blushed when she saw Hiei. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Was I interrupting you? I'll just come back!" Botan turned to leave when Kitanoe grabbed her hand.

"Nothing happened! I fell asleep! Hiei keeps my nightmares away...What did you need?" Kitanoe yawned again.

"I wanted to tell you that dinner is ready. Keiko's cooking is absolutely the best, you must try it!" Botan was able to sneak a quick glance at Hiei. "And maybe we can have a little girl talk?" She giggled.

"Yeah..okay. We'll be out there in a minute." Kitanoe shut the door and looked at Hiei. "You're eating too right? Don't make me face the talkative populace alone."

Hiei smirked as he followed her out of the room and into the roar of happy company.

_A/N:: Tried to make this chapter as smooth as possible. I've edited it 3 times and it's still not as smooth as I'd like. I am surprised by all the hits I have with this fic, and I am grateful to those who have reviewed and favorited my story! Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 7**

Two weeks had passed since Kitanoe, Kurama, and Hiei were ambushed in Demon World. Kitanoe had fully recovered and had spent her evenings training with Hiei, and sometimes Kurama. Kuwabara would try and help her since he was a self-proclaimed "Master" of the weapon conjuring arts, but he never made any sense to her. Yusuke had gone to Demon World on his own to assess the turmoil and had returned days later with news that nothing had changed other then the fact that there were more noticeable riots.

Koenma appeared that afternoon, transformed in his dashing older form, holding a folder. He approached Kitanoe who was sitting at the dining room table with the girls. Kitanoe noticed Botan's blush and turned to look at Koenma as he laid the folder in front of her. "I'm sorry this is coming on such short notice. An artifact has been found in Gandara. It's very powerful, and can cause Demons to act out and go crazy from power lust. We think this is why the riots are happening more so in some areas. "

Kitanoe stared at the folder and opened it, unaware that all eyes were on her. She munched away on her apple when she came across a picture of the artifact and almost choked.

"Yes, I see you recognize it." Koenma stated.

Kitanoe swallowed her apple and stared at Koenma as if he has grown 3 heads. "Lord Koenma, I sold this, YEARS ago, to a human named-"

"-Gonzo Tarukane. I know. Toguro killed him after Yusuke and Kuwabara saved Yukina from his compound." Koenma seemed more irritable today then usual. "He in turn sold it to a B class Demon who is taking advantage of the artifact's power now that he has a reason to create an army. This item-"

"-Is called the Scepter of 7 winds. I know." Kitanoe glared at Koenma. "It can drive Demons insane just by waving it. It has the power for temporary mind control. It can cause a Demon to feel what the controller feels and if the controller hates it's Demon Lords, then so will the controlled."

"You have 3 days to get this item back." Koenma added.

Kitanoe went wide eyed as the girls gasped. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei stood up and approached Koenma with malice. "After what she just went through, you expect her to go back and take care of a B class Demon and retrieve an artifact with tremendous power!?" Yusuke snapped. "I was just there, there is no way she is going alone!"

"Well I'm not sending you 3! That just makes her more of a target!" Koenma glared at the Demon Lords. "And I'm not sending Kuwabara because he isn't familiar with Demon World. If she does what I tell her too she can do this mission solo!"

"There must be another way. Please reconsider." Kurama's voice was thin and was losing his patience with the Spirit World ruler.

"She knew what she signed up for when she accepted the job!"

"I'll do it." Kitanoe cut into the conversation. "Under the condition you remove this stupid bracelet."

"This isn't up for negotiation!" Koenma was fuming.

"Then throw me in jail and find yourself a new treasure hunter." Kitanoe leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed. She had Koenma by the balls, and he knew it. The room was beyond quiet. No one was breathing. Koenma sighed and slumped into the chair next to Botan.

"If you bring me the item in 3 days, I will remove the bracelet."

The smile on Kitanoe's face lit up the whole room. She stood up and nearly ran to her room with excitement and came back out wearing black cargo pants and a black tank top. She had the enchanted bag tied to her waist and had a small pack over her shoulder. She had her hair up as well which was unusual. "Open a portal, Oh Tyrant Ruler!"

_You're a glutton for punishment_. She heard Hiei say in her head. She winced and she felt a small pain in her heart. Hiei knew it, and Kitanoe refused to say it out loud, but she had developed feelings for Hiei over the past 2 weeks. However, she felt 3 days in Demon World was well worth her freedom, and Hiei above all others would understand. Koenma explained the area and gave her all the information of the Demon that he had. He gave her a map and sent her off into the woods, where she originally went with Hiei and Kurama, to the portal.

Truth be told, she was scared shitless when she saw the portal. The heat that radiated from it was immense as it swirled like a whirlpool in front of her. She took a step forward when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and was glad to see Hiei. The look in his crimson red eyes sent chills down her spine. "Hiei...I need to do this...Not only will this help settle things down in Demon World, but Koenma will give me my freedom. I need it..." She felt the need to explain herself out loud.

It all happened so fast.

Her hair was suddenly down. Hiei held her face with both of his hands and his lips were on hers. They were warmer and softer then she thought they would be. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his shoulders. She felt her back on the cool grass as Hiei laid her down. Kitanoe's heart was racing as Hiei broke away from the kiss and pinned her hands to the cool earth. There was a primal need in his eyes that caused Kitanoe to gasp, and her lips parted just enough for Hiei to kiss her again and slide his tongue inside her warm mouth. She moaned and tried to wrap her arms around him again, but was firmly pinned down. Passion started to turn to panic until Hiei broke the kiss and released her wrists. He nuzzled her neck and she could hear him breathe heavily. She threw her arms around him to reassure herself that she could move.

"I'm not him...I won't hurt you." Hiei spoke softly into her ear and nibbled on it. The amount of restraint he was using just to be gentle was astounding.

"I know...I know." She whispered back. Hiei kissed her again and just as her heart started racing, he pulled away.

"I'll see you in 3 days." He helped her to her feet before he disappeared.

Kitanoe stood alone, awestruck, and confused as to what just happened. _He kissed me! Then said he would see me in 3 days. Glad to know he has some faith in me after all. _She blushed as she remembered the passion filled kiss and brought her hand up to her lips. She rolled her eyes at herself_. Oh how cliche'! Just jump in the portal, get the stupid Scepter and return. Piece of cake_. She coached herself and jumped right into the portal.

Kitanoe landed on one knee when she exited the portal. Demon World was quiet where she was. She reached into her pocket for the map and instructions Koenma had given her, and he instructed her not to open it until she got through the portal. For whatever reason, she assumed, he didn't want Hiei to know what was going on. It was no secret that Hiei could read minds. She read the instructions several times and couldn't figure out what the big deal was.

_1\. You will land in Gandara, just outside the Demons strong hold._

_2\. This Demon is a B class water Demon named Marik._

_3\. If you can sneak in and out, great! Only, you need to kill Marik in order to break the mind control spell on the demons he already controls, otherwise they will never stop looking for Yusuke and the others._

_4\. Grab the Scepter of 7 winds. You need to do this in 3 days or else the mind control becomes permanent. _

"Okay. No big deal. I'm a B class demon and so is this Marik. As far as I am concerned we are evenly matched." She shrugged and jumped high into the nearest tree. With stealth and silence she jumped from tree to tree until she was in front of a stone castle. Her heart dropped. "He said strong hold...not fortress...I was ready to face 1 demon, not an army!" Kitanoe sat in the tree for what seemed like hours. She would scan the area for any movement and keep track of the guards. At nightfall she finally caught her break and crept inside, undetected.

She slipped inside an empty room and laid low in case one of the guards walked passed the door. She looked at her map again. The fortress was made of 5 squares and right now she was in the large outer square. She needed to be in the first inner square. Kitanoe memorized the map after a few quick minutes before she slipped it back into her pocket. She dashed out of the room and followed the wall until she came to the entrance of the fourth square.

"Who the hell are you!?" A large burly demon stared down at Kitanoe.

"Oh, I'm just here to deliver a new treasure to Marik. No one was outside on guard so I let myself in. Lovely place you have here." Kitanoe lied through her teeth like a smart ass.

The demon just glared down at her. "Oh yeah? What is this treasure?"

Kitanoe just smiled. "Oh, it's for Marik's eyes only. I am under strict orders. Do you mind letting me pass or showing me the way?" Kitanoe took the time to notice that this was the only demon blocking her way, and the entrance to the third square was conveniently across the room.

"Just hold it right there Missy, I'm not falling for any tricks!" The demon placed his ugly blue hands on his hips like a diva. He had bright red hair and purple eyes. He was a colorful sight for sure. "Marik would have told me if he had a special delivery, I'm one of his head commanders!"

"Oh? Even if it was a surprise for his head commanders? Marik isn't the type of demon to just ruin a reward for his loyal crew, now is he?" Kitanoe taunted.

"A surprise, eh? Don't mind if I just steal it from you then, Missy!" He reached down for her enchanted bag but Kitanoe swiped his arm away with a glare.

"You're wasting my precious time. Either allow me to pass or I can kill you and walk around your ugly, stupid ass."

The demon just bellowed a laugh. Kitanoe summoned her ice sword and quickly removed the demons head. She stopped the rolling head with her foot and set the body ablaze while melting the sword off her arm. She had to cover her tracks or else she was going to get caught. Once the clean up job was done she headed straight for the third square. She found it odd that the square was empty entirely. At the second square, Kitanoe found herself face to face with over 20 demon guards. In her hurry to leave, she had completely forgotten to bring a material weapon from Human World, and her ice sword used too much energy to continue conjuring it.

Two of the demons charged at her at once and Kitanoe used very little energy to conjure a red demon sword, much like Kuwabara's spirit sword, in an act of desperation. "Ah ha! No one tell Kuwabara, but he just saved my ass!" Kitanoe smirked as she charged into the hoard of demons. They weren't very powerful, but the numbers were over whelming.

She panted heavily as she saw the final demon fall. Her arm had 3 long claw marks gashed down to the bone. Bodies were every where and the rotting stench of death filled her nose. She heard a clapping in the door way of square one and looked up to see who she assumed was Marik. He had pale blonde, almost white, hair. His eyes were such a pale blue that they were almost white. His skin was dark and he was covered with tribal tattoos.

"So, you're Koenma's little treasure hunter. How hilarious. He sent a female to do his bidding. Tell me, where are his other detectives? The males? Do they not have what it takes to face this war?"

Kitanoe glared at him. "They didn't have time to take out the trash. They have better things to do."

Marik laughed. "Trash? Well that's rude. Didn't anyone ever teach you the proper manners to use when you're a guest in someone's home?"

"Sorry. Lonely forgotten childhood." Kitanoe crossed her arms. "Hand over the scepter, Marik, and I will make your death quick."

"Such big talk for such a tiny female. I like the way you handle business. Why don't you join me and be my second?"

"Not interested."

"Very well." Marik used his left hand to reach for the scepter behind his back. Kitanoe was mesmerized by it's beauty. It was the most beautiful silver, and the orb was many shades of blue, purple, and green. She almost couldn't take her eyes off of it. She remembered holding it before she gave it to Tarukane. Had he not given her 5 million for it she probably would have killed him to get it back." Ah, I see you like my little treasure? Do you want to hold it?" He offered it to her.

_It's a trap. Don't go near it. He'll use it against you_. She noted to herself. "It is beautiful, but I have a job to do." Kitanoe conjured up her demon sword with some difficulty. Her energy was almost gone. _If only they had trained me harder! I would be powerful enough to handle this ass hole! _She went wide eyed. Marik was trying to control her mind. He was making her think negative about her team. She closed her eyes and refocused. _Kurama trains you and heals you. Yusuke is like a brother to you. Kuwabara taught you how to use a freakin' energy sword for crying out loud. Hiei trains you. He pushes you and believes in you. Hiei even likes you. He kissed you. _The thought made her blush. She opened her eyes and glared at Marik. "Your mind games don't work on me. Now fight me like a Demon and let's get this show on the road!"

"My, my, so rude." Marik started to twirl the scepter in his hand. It was moving faster and faster when finally Marik slammed it down on the ground. A wave of water came barreling towards Kitanoe. She jumped as high as she could and swung her demon sword at Marik. He caught it between 2 fingers. Kitanoe's eyes widened as he threw her across the room and destroyed her sword by dissipating the energy. The room had at least 6 inches of water in it from Marik's last attack, and now Kitanoe was soaked. "Tsk. As a water demon I can control the element regardless if there is water available or not. Now that you're wet from head to toe, I'm afraid this fight will be cut short."

Kitanoe frowned as she stood up. "What-AH!" Kitanoe screamed as she was now in mid air. She looked at Marik who was smirking. His hand was raised and she realized he was able to control her body. He brought his hand down as Kitanoe came crashing down to the floor. She couldn't move as he held her under water. She held her breath and tried not to panic. Marik laughed as he raised her above the water. She coughed and sputtered, gasping for air. Marik threw her back down and continued the onslaught for what seemed like hours. Kitanoe was positive her already mangled arm was broken.

She knew her time was running out. She had spent most of day 1 just looking at the damn fortress and day 2 was coming to an end. She needed to end this fast, or this will all have been for nothing. She was slammed back down into the water again when she was struck with an idea, but she would need to use her life energy to do it. She concentrated hard, feeling light headed from lack of oxygen. She emitted a strong heat until her body was consumed by fire. Marik stared in disbelief as his water started to evaporate. Kitanoe was able to dry herself and dodge Marik's next wave of water.

"Smart move, but you can't stay out of the water forever!" Marik laughed.

Kitanoe jumped again and dove straight for Marik. She conjured her ice sword and stabbed him straight through his neck. He dropped the scepter as they both fell to the ground. She laid there struggling to breathe, strategically landing on her back so that she wouldn't drown. She could hear Marik drowning in his own blood before the room was silent. She no longer felt his energy, but she didn't have the energy to move. Her arm was killing her and her lungs were begging for the air they'd been deprived. She barely had the life energy left to keep her heart beating. She had risked death when she killed Marik with her ice sword.

Kitanoe struggled to stand up as she grabbed the scepter and lazily placed it in her enchanted bag. She stumbled and fell back against the wall. Her vision was spotted as her body threatened lights-out. "If I come across any more demons while I escape here, I'm done for. I have 18 hours to get back to that fucking portal." She cursed. She stood on weak legs and limped along the walls. She fell several times and had to hide at one point for 3 hours because of the guard at the front gates.

After hours of pain and struggling she finally stared at the portal to Human World. She took a step inside and blacked out before she landed. The portal closed as she laid in the grassy comfort of the woods behind the ocean front temple. She was pale and close to death with the enchanted bag clutched tightly in her white knuckled hands, with 45 minutes to spare. Her last thought before she fell unconcious was that Koenma better be grateful, and she prayed that he kept his word.

She prayed she'd stay alive to see it through.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 8**

Kitanoe felt herself drowning. She couldn't breathe. She was clawing and gasping for air when she opened her eyes and saw that she was in her bed. She was dripping in sweat and couldn't catch her breath. Her arm was heavily bandaged from where someone had tended to her injuries. She felt herself having a panic attack and curled into a fetal position on her bed. It only lasted half an hour, but it had felt like days. She was shaking and pale as she took a deep inhale of clean air. That was the first nightmare she's had in 3 weeks.

_Where's Hiei? _She sat up and felt light headed. Her stomach turned and she sprinted to the bathroom and wretched until her ribs hurt. She was suddenly feeling alone. She couldn't sense anyone in the temple and she felt the panic rise up again. She tried to shake the feeling as she started the shower. She gagged when she removed the bandages from her arm. _How long was I out!?_ She wanted to scream but her throat hurt. She could see the wounds festering but was glad to see it was no longer broken. She took what felt like the best shower of her life and scrubbed her arm vigorously to clear it of the infection_. If anyone can hear me, please answer. _She prayed silently and received silence in return. She dried off slowly and dressed in what Keiko and Botan called 'Stay in and watch the soaps!' clothes. She shook her head at the idea of fake television drama. She was just fine with sweat pants and a loose fitting shirt and calling it just that. She walked out into the main room and realized it was dark outside. The clock on the wall told her it was only 4:30 in the morning. _Everyone must be asleep_. She pondered.

The silence was killing her. She eventually made coffee and sat down at the table. Koenma suddenly appeared next to her, startling her so bad that she fell backwards and spilled her coffee, also breaking the glass mug. She used her injured arm to break her fall and yelped. Koenma was equally startled. "Why are you up so early!?" He hissed in a whisper.

Kitanoe wasn't even sure she could talk until she snapped at Koenma. "I live here! I can get up whenever I damn well please!" Her voice was a rough whisper, and her arm was killing her. Her throat felt raw as she spoke. "What happened?" She asked Koenma as she started to pick up the large pieces of glass. She was shocked when Koenma wet a kitchen towel with hot water and helped her clean the coffee mess.

"You need to re-bandage your arm." Koenma answered in a whisper as he looked at her raw arm. "The others should be back shortly. I sent them to Demon World to clean up the riot mess. Things have calmed down a great deal since you've been back. " He placed the kitchen towel in the empty sink. Kitanoe disposed of the glass and fetched more bandages. She sat back at the table after Koenma picked up the fallen chair. "I removed the bracelet." He added.

Kitanoe stared at him with wide eyes. "Did you really!?" She shouted.

"SH!" Koenma hushed her. They were quiet, listening to see if they heard anyone waking up. After a few minutes of silence, Koenma continued. "Yes, it's removed. However it's limited to Human World right now. Demon World will only be accessible to you if I send you there. You were almost dead when they found you. Hiei couldn't even read your mind. What happened?"

Kitanoe frowned. "I remember Marik. I remember drowning, and then being on fire. I had to use my life energy to kill Marik and I passed out at the portal. I guess I fell in and ended up on the other side."

Koenma nodded. "Your Demon energy hasn't even returned to you yet. You've been out for days. I couldn't even sense that you were awake when I came in."

"Yeah...I had to use a lot of energy just to make it to the portal alive."

"Don't mention Marik's name and try not to think about it." Koenma spoke hastily. Kitanoe stared at him with a confused look on her face when she heard someone enter the temple.

"You're awake!" Yusuke nearly yelled from the door way.

Koenma and Kitanoe jumped. "SHH!" They hushed him, although Kitanoe was excited to see him. Kurama followed after Yusuke and Hiei after him. Kuwabara just yawned and went to his room after a quick wave.

"Your arm looks like it got chewed on..." Yusuke said with grimace as he sat down next to Koenma.

Kurama sat next to Kitanoe and inspected her arm before applying one of his famous healing plant mixtures and bandaging her arm with the supplies she had previously gathered. "Yeah it was infected so I had to scrub it while I was in the shower. How long was I out?"

"8 days." Hiei answered. Kitanoe noticed he was leaned against the wall instead of the table with everyone else. He was watching Kurama's handy work.

Kitanoe went through the details of her mission again without mentioning Marik's name. They all listened intently and she was happy Kuwabara opted to go back to bed when she started to tell them about her Demon energy sword. Yusuke leaned back in the chair when she finished talking. He looked dead serious. "Well whatever that artifact was, it's not a problem anymore. Koenma has it locked away somewhere. It's weird, most of the riots stopped but no one remembers what happened."

"Yes, and it was much easier to determine who the riot starters were after the mind control was broken." Kurama interjected. "Those who had no qualms returned to their normal lives, and those who oppose us continued causing chaos."

Kitanoe nodded as she looked at her newly bandaged arm. A lot seemed to have happened in 8 days. _That explains the nightmares. Hiei wasn't here to stop them_. She looked over at him and remembered their last encounter. She wondered if any of that changed. She sighed and decided she needed more coffee. The sun was starting to rise. She yawned when she sat back down. "So what's the agenda? What's next?"

"YOU are staying here until your demon energy recovers." Koenma declared. "I will monitor what happens in Demon World for the next week, so unless the Apocalypse is happening I won't need any of you any time soon."

Kitanoe nodded. She was more exhausted then she should be for a person having slept for 8 days. Kurama answered for her. " You haven't fully recovered yet. You should feel lucky. We didn't expect you to be up and walking for another few weeks."

Kitanoe stared at him tiredly. "Is that because my life energy hasn't fully returned, either?"

"Yes. The fact that you're alive is astonishing." Kurama tied the bandage on her arm. "It will take a few weeks for you to get back to full strength."

"Well, I need to head back." Koenma stood up. "I have a lot of paperwork to do regarding your missions. If anything strange happens, Kitanoe, report to me immediately." And he was gone.

Suddenly, Kitanoe noticed, all 3 sets of Demon eyes were on her. "What? I have no idea what he meant. Did you?" She was genuinely worried. Koenma was acting weird about this.

"No. Usually he tells me to be on the look out but this time he chose you." Yusuke mused. "Did anything weird happen while you were in Demon World?"

Kitanoe frowned. "To be honest I don't quite remember everything. I remember the big details but nothing is coming to mind that would have Koenma worry." _Except the fact he doesn't want you to know about Marik. _She thought to herself. She could always feel when her mind was being read and apparently Hiei was still having difficulty due to her weakened state.

They heard a yawn in the doorway. Glancing over she saw Keiko in pink pajama pants and a long sleeved pink pajama shirt. She glared at Yusuke and he flinched away. _They must be fighting again_. Kitanoe rolled her eyes when Keiko noticed her. "Oh! You're finally awake! I was just about to make breakfast for everyone, are you hungry?"

"Uh...no, but I haven't eaten in eleven days I would guess, so I need to try and eat. Do you need help?" Kitanoe tried to stand up and was instantly back down in her chair. She was light headed and felt like all of her energy was leaving her again_. Oh, not good_.

They were at her side in an instant. "What the hell was that! Her energy dropped off the radar!" That was definitely Yusuke.

"She's near death again. Hiei, can you read her mind yet?" Kurama placed his hand on her forehead. "She's burning up."

"Well she is half fire demon." Yusuke pointed out.

Kurama nodded. "Yes, fire demons run hot, but not this hot."

"I still can't read her mind." She heard Hiei say.

"What's going on?" Keiko's voice faded into the background.

Kitanoe blacked out with a fever of 116.

* * *

Kitanoe opened her eyes to see darkness. She was in a stone room. She stood weakly and attempted to walk forward. She was jerked back by something around her wrists and ankles. _What the hell!? _She panicked as she stared at the prison shackles that confined her. She didn't see any light, and as her vision adjusted to the darkness she realized she didn't see an exit either. Her heart raced when water started seeping up from the stone floors and filling the room. She pulled and jerked as hard as she could on the chains and they didn't move.

_Wake up_

She started punching the walls to break the chains loose, and it didn't work. The water quickly rose up to her waist.

_Wake up!_

She bloodied her hands trying to climb up the wall but the water washed over her entire body. She held her breath, and her lungs began to burn. Suddenly she was on fire and her whole body was burning. It was too hot!

_Wake up!_

She heard Marik laughing. She opened her eyes to see the scepter in his dark hands. His arms were crossed. She closed her eyes tightly and screamed under the water as he charged for her.

* * *

"WAKE UP!" The voice screamed at her. She snapped her eyes open and fell off the side of her bed. She scrambled and shuffled until her back was against the wall. The panic in her eyes disappeared slowly when she saw she was in her room. She stared into Hiei's crimson eyes and saw an emotion she had never seen in them.

"I don't need your pity, just leave!" She hugged herself and she didn't recognize her voice.

"I couldn't stop it. The nightmare. What happened?"

"I don't know...Why can't you use your Jagan eye on me anymore?" She looked at him with pitiful, scared, sapphire blue eyes. She was shaking. "I don't know what's going on!" She didn't want to cry in front of Hiei but tears pricked the edged of her eyes.

Hiei was at her side instantly feeling her forehead. "Damn it." He cursed. Within seconds Kurama was in the room. "She has another fever."

"Wait, so you can use your telepathy on Kurama?" Kitanoe started shaking harder. They said she had a fever but she was freezing.

They were quiet as Hiei lifted Kitanoe in his arms and placed her back on the bed. Kurama repeated Hiei's steps in checking for fever. "I'll be right back." He dashed out of the room.

"Hiei..." Kitanoe looked over at the fire Demon. "Koenma told me not to say anything, but my nightmares are about it; the details of my mission. I think it has something to do with my condition."

"Why would that Tyrant tell you to keep your mission encounter a secret?" Hiei's patience were thin.

Kitanoe explained about Koenma's strict instructions, and the strange request he had before the meeting in the dining room. "The Demon's name is Marik. He tried to control me with the scepter-"

"He sent you after an S class demon!?" Hiei was fuming.

Kitanoe gasped. "No...No, he was a B class demon. Koenma told me so. "

"He lied."

"Why would he lie to me!" The tears started pouring from her eyes.

"He needed someone to carry out the mission who wouldn't attract to much attention." Kurama entered the room. Hiei had already filled Kurama in.

"He tried to turn me against you! He tried to fucking drown me! He was toying me with the entire time! What if he's not even dead!" Kitanoe was having a melt down.

"He's dead." Hiei answered simply.

"We can obtain the death report if need be." Kurama sat on the bed and coaxed Kitanoe to open her mouth so that he could give her the medicine. "You have a rare Demon infection. It's slowing down the healing process substantially. I informed Yusuke to summon Koenma. Immediately." The last word sent chills down Kitanoe's spine as Kurama spoke it with pure venom.

"I was expendable, end of story!" Kitanoe fell back onto her pillows.

Kurama left the room without another comment. Hiei shocked Kitanoe when he got into bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her. She soon understood why as she went into spasms of cold chills. The medicine Kurama was giving her was to reduce her fever. "Did you tell him t-to leave?" She stuttered out. She felt him nod.

After awhile, he randomly spoke."It's pissing me off." He mumbled into her hair.

"W-What?" Kitanoe shook, confused.

"Not being able to read your mind."

Kitanoe actually laughed. She snuggled into him and was fighting sleep like her life depended on it when a knock came at the door. She groaned and was thankful when Hiei was the one to get up and answer the door. She overheard the conversation.

"We need to have the meeting in here. I'm not moving her." Hiei spoke. She then heard Yusuke's voice.

"Shouldn't we have the meeting without her? I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of yelling." She heard a fist hit the wall. "And I might just kick his ass."

"She deserves to know why Koenma played her for a fool." Hiei argued.

"Hey are those two decent?" Kuwabara walked in on the conversation. "What's the deal here, are you two like dating or something? You've been obsessed-"

"Say another word, and I'll kill you." Hiei cut in. Kitanoe assumed his sword was at Kuwabara's throat and it made her smile.

"Hey whoa, let's save some of the anger for Koenma, okay?" Yusuke was grinning.

In a matter of minutes, the four Spirit Detectives were gathered in her room. Koenma was nervously leaning against the wall away from the others, and Botan was there as well, sitting on the bed with Kitanoe. Kitanoe wasn't able to sit up on her own, but Botan needed to be apart of the meeting and offered to help. She really wanted Hiei next to her, but she kept that bit of info to herself.

"Start talking." Kitanoe demanded. All eyes were on Koenma. The tension in the room was thick.

Koenma sighed. "It's complicated, and I apologize for any confusion. It's true, I hid the information from everyone until Kitanoe was in Demon World. I couldn't risk Hiei reading her mind and sabotaging the mission. What she was able to do brought peace for the time being, and I don't regret sending her. I did lie about the class of Demon Marik was, but I knew she wouldn't even try if I told her the truth." He slumped down in the chair. "My father wants me to have the SDF arrest her, immediately."

Kitanoe was shaking from anger and fear. "Why?"

"He is tired of me reforming criminals. He is eager to see Demons suffer. Long story short, my father hates Demons, and you were the icing on the cake. He wanted me to make an example of you, but I needed you too much. Your skills are unlike anyone else's. I thought sending you on this mission would prove something to him but I have yet to hear any word about it. "

"So what if King Enma doesn't care that she stopped Marik and retrieved the scepter? What then?" Botan asked softly.

"Hopefully he will pitch a tantrum and get over it. I am more concerned with him starting a war between Spirit World and Demon World." Koenma answered bluntly. He looked at Yusuke. "You remember the Chapter Black tape? Well, something like that could potentially happen again. My father is anti-Demon, 100%. If it was in his power he would destroy Demon World."

"Arresting me isn't going to fix the problem." Kitanoe spoke weakly.

"I know that. Which is why I had you prove yourself worthy. I will know something in the next few weeks. Until then you should focus on getting better. That's no ordinary infection you have, I looked into it before coming here. My father had the SDF infect you with something deadly before we could find you. I don't know what it is yet but Kurama is helping me solve the mystery. They want you to die slowly."

Kitanoe nodded. She was scared to death. She listened to the rest of the meeting and she watched everyone leave her room with the exception of Hiei. She looked at him with defeated eyes. " No matter what I do, life is going to keep kicking me down."

"Do you keep standing back up?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"Then that's all that matters." Hiei walked over and sat down on the bed next to her. She was shaking and cold to the touch.

"Why does he want ME dead so badly? Why have the SDF go out of their way to poison me? They could have just taken me in, I was unconscious." She laid her head on Hiei's shoulder.

"He's making an example of you. You should be grateful to even be alive." Hiei sounded harsh, but she shrugged it off. "Kurama is no fool. He knows the SDF has no interest in killing Demons off this way. This is just a rouse to buy them some time. Something bigger is coming."

"I'm so tired..."

"Then sleep."

"I can't..."

"Night terrors?"

Kitanoe nodded. All she wanted to do was cry in bed and sleep. Hiei adjusted them so that they were both laying down and he held her close to his chest. She felt him kiss her forehead. She felt so safe and protected, and allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment. She was asleep within seconds.

* * *

Kurama entered the room late that afternoon holding a syringe. Hiei glared at the Fox Demon and held Kitanoe protectively. "Hiei, I've never seen you so taken with someone before." Kurama smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"What the hell is that?" Hiei snapped as he looked at the syringe filled with metallic blue liquid.

"The blood tests I drew a few days ago returned. She does in fact have the infection created by the SDF. It's not currently named but Koenma is calling it DemonX. This is the only known antidote."

"How do you know what's in that!?" Hiei was beyond pissed off as it was but it was more out of concern for Kitanoe.

"Because I created it. Hiei, if you don't let me give this to her, she will die."

Hiei growled and removed himself from the bed. His fists were clenched tightly as he watched Kurama clean a spot on her arm and prepare the syringe. Kurama quickly plunged the needle into her arm and injected the metallic looking medication.

Kitanoe's eyes shot open and she screamed bloody murder.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry this was a confusing chapter. Hopefully it will be explained more in the next. Also, sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter, I have the flu and I feel like crap. Please review! You have no idea how excited and inspired I get when my phone blows up with notifications from Fanfiction. Thanks!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 9 (A/N: Intimate scenes in this chapter)**

"Rose Whip!" Kurama quickly turned a rose into a brutal weapon and lashed out at Kitanoe. She dodged his moves gracefully and landed after a back flip. Kurama was actually trying to hit her. "Let's take a break." He smiled politely. Kitanoe grinned as she headed over to Kurama from across the beach. "You're much stronger then you were when we met." The fox Demon noted.

"I would be dead if it hadn't been for you." Kitanoe sat down on the blazing hot sand and caught the water bottle Kurama tossed to her. "You need to make some kind of living by healing Humans and Demons."

"I prefer a quiet life." Kurama sat down next to her. He was dressed unusual today compared to his normal attire. He was shirtless and in emerald green swim trunks.

"Being a Demon Lord can't be very quiet." Kitanoe downed her water in one shot and placed the empty plastic bottle next to her.

"I am amazed by your progress. Two days ago you could barely walk, and now you're out here training and giving me a hard time." Kurama teased. "How are you and Hiei?"

Kitanoe blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about." She glanced over at Kurama and noticed his amused expression. "Okay, so I have a thing for him."

"He is quite taken with you as well." Kurama looked back towards the ocean.

"What? How do you know?" Kitanoe was suddenly intrigued. "I know he sometimes sleeps in my bed and keeps away the night terrors now that he can use telepathy on me again-"

Kurama interrupted her. "Do you honestly think Hiei would do that for everyone? Or anyone?"

"Well, no..."

"He's kissed you?"

"How did you find out!?" Kitanoe was fifty shades of red.

Kurama laughed. "He told me. You'd be surprised how much he talks when he gets to know someone."

Kitanoe stared at her toes which she absent mindedly tucked into the sand. Two days ago Kurama had injected her with that antidote. It worked wonders but her body went through hell to accommodate it. Thankfully Kurama won the inner DemonX battle against the SDF. Her body temperature ran high to burn off the infection and then it reset itself. She was stronger and healthier then she ever had been. She remembered waking up to the pain in her arm, and seeing Hiei nearly attack Kurama. She only saw Hiei when she was tired enough to sleep, and he would keep away the night terrors. They hadn't even kissed since that first time before her mission.

"Does he regret it?" Kitanoe looked at Kurama. "It's okay, you can tell me. I would rather know so things aren't awkward."

"That's something you need to ask Hiei." Kurama stood up. "Ready to continue?" Kitanoe nodded and stood up. She dusted the sand off her shorts and chased after the Fox.

Hiei was sitting in Kitanoe's window, watching her training session. He was impressed with her progress, however he felt Kurama talked too damn much. He could hear Yusuke and Keiko arguing a few rooms over. Kuwabara was with his sister at Genkai's temple today. He heard something hit the wall and decided that Keiko had tried to throw another vase at Yusuke again.

_When will that Human girl learn that he can't stop being a Demon. Asking him to trade everything he knows and lives for for a domestic ordinary Human life is a death sentence. _

Hiei kicked his feet out the window and started walking towards Kurama. He had his hands casually in his pockets and stopped to watch the show. Kitanoe was also learning how to conserve energy and she was getting better at not having to use most or all of it for one attack. She could use her ice sword all day long now if she pleased. Kurama's rose whip wrapped around her ankle and spun her to the sand. She skidded across the hot granules and stopped at Hiei's feet. The amused look he was giving her fueled her anger. She grabbed the rose whip from her ankle and froze it, breaking it off. She used her other hand to grab what was left and set the vine on fire. She watched it disintegrate all the way up to Kurama's hand.

"Well, I think we're done for the day." Kurama approached Kitanoe and Hiei. He was covered with sweat but had a smile on his face.

Kitanoe smiled back. "Thanks for the training tips, Fox boy."

"I see you've adopted Yusuke's nick name for me. Hiei, what brings you out in the day light?" Kurama teased.

Hiei crossed him arms. "It was either this or listen to that whipped detective argue with his woman."

"Again?" Kitanoe couldn't believe how many times a Human couple could argue about the same things over and over.

"I'll leave you two be. I need to shower and head over to my mothers. I promised I would stay for dinner." Kurama bid his goodbyes before going back inside the temple.

Hiei and Kitanoe stood in awkward silence for a moment before she spoke. "I know it's a strange, human thing to want to do, but do you want to watch a movie with me?"

Hiei stood still. Kitanoe couldn't tell if he was even breathing but thankfully he nodded. She gave a sigh of relief. "Okay, I need to shower first." She walked towards her window. She was making a habit of using it as her entrance and exit into the temple, for the convenience of the privacy of her room and ease of access to the outside for training.

Once she was in her room, she waited for Hiei and watched as he shut the window. "I'll just be a minute." She walked into her bathroom and shut the door. A blush was deep in her cheeks.

Kitanoe turned on the shower and quickly undressed out of her shorts and the bathing suit top and stepped into the luke warm water. It felt cooling against her sun kissed skin. It made her nervous, and not in a bad way, that Hiei was in her room while she was naked 20 feet away in the bathroom. She shook her head at the absurd idea and quickly finished her shower. She grabbed the fluffy blue towel and wrapped it around her gorgeous curvy body and gazed at herself in the mirror. She looked healthier in her opinion. Kitanoe still took the "anti-withdrawal" mixture at night, but she still craved the Roxy every so often, and she had to admit that she felt better without it. She was growing stronger and she didn't look like an under weight drug addict.

"Damn it, Female, get dressed." Hiei spoke from the doorway, startling her. She blushed and noticed the primal male need in his eyes. "Now." She never even heard the door open!

Kitanoe was stunned. She had forgotten how to talk, or move for that matter. Her mind told her she needed to kick him out and get the hell dressed, but her body was leaning towards something different. She spoke softly and carefully, "And if I refuse?"

A spark went off in Hiei's eyes. Before Kitanoe could blink, the bathroom door was shut, locked, and Hiei was standing in front of her. There was a trait that Demon's possessed, allowing them to sense or smell when another demon was aroused. The sexual tension in the tiny bathroom was overwhelming until Hiei pulled her closer to him and slammed his lips upon hers. Kitanoe held the towel with one hand and had the other hand wrapped in Hiei's hair. She gasped when he picked her up and set her on the edge of the marble counter sink. Hiei opened her legs wide enough for him to stand between them and started biting her neck; hard enough for pleasure but not enough to draw blood. Kitanoe moaned and wrapped her legs around Hiei's clothed waist. She heard him growl and it sent shivers down her spine.

Hiei pulled away from her long enough to remove her hands from the towel and easily slid it off of her. Kitanoe blushed as she followed Hiei's gaze all over her body. She wanted to ask him something stupid, like "Do you like what you see?". She quickly realized she was watching too much television. Hiei read her mind because he had grabbed her hand and placed it on his throbbing arousal. She could only feel him through his pants but she was eager to have him inside of her.

Hiei kissed her neck and down her chest. He fondled each breast equally and bit her hardened peaks, kissing across her torso to the next. She shivered with delight as he kissed down and over her belly button. He pushed her knees apart a little more as he knelt down and kissed the inside of her thighs. He kissed higher until he found his prize. Her sweet core was aching and dripping wet for him. His tongue danced across her clit as she grasped his hair with both hands and moaned. His hands clawed into her thighs, keeping her in place. Kitanoe could feel her release building up.

"Hiei...Hiei, please..." Kitanoe whimpered as he slowed down.

Hiei smirked as he looked back up at her. "Say it. "

Kitanoe's cheeks were flushed with pink. "Don't stop...please. I'm going to-AH!" She screamed out when Hiei's tongue attacked her clit again. She came with a rush and even pulled Hiei closer to her. She didn't think she could take anymore but he kept going. "Hiei, please! I can't! I-" She screamed, her second orgasm ripped through her unexpectedly. Her legs were shaking as her body came down off it's high. Hiei stood up and wrapped the towel back around Kitanoe's body. He lifted her with ease and unlocked the bathroom door with his telepathy. She noticed his shirt was off and laying on the bathroom floor as he carried her out. Hiei laid her on her bed and crawled on top of her. He caressed her face and threw the towel off the bed.

"I didn't think you could be this gentle." Kitanoe whispered as she looked into Hiei's crimson eyes.

"I didn't think you'd let me touch you." His voice was low and soft. He bent down to kiss her when a knock came at the door.

Kitanoe found herself wrapped in her towel and back in the bathroom with the door shut faster then she could solve 2 + 2. She could never get used to Hiei's speed. Shaking her head, she placed her ear to the door. She heard Hiei talking to Kurama. Hiei sounded beyond pissed off and the phrase 'Cock Blocked' came to her mind. She listened closely.

"I am staying the night at my mothers. You and Kitty will have the temple to yourselves." She could hear Kurama teasing him. "You'll be alone until noon tomorrow. "

"Why you feel the need to tell me meaningless details is beyond me." Hiei snapped without actually snapping but his voice was agitated. Kitanoe could hear Kurama chuckle, followed by the door closing. She had just enough time to back away from the door before Hiei opened it. She purposely dropped her towel exposing her naked body and laughed when his red eyes grew wild with lust.

He had her in the bathroom with quick urgency. He had her on her bed with slow deliberate passion. She found out he actually had a bedroom, and he had her there too. They had the best sex imaginable on the beach, and came inside to take a shower together where they made love for the fifth time. Kitanoe had no idea what had come over her, but she craved him. No matter what they did, she couldn't get enough of him!

She dried her hair and dressed in blue shorts and a white tank top. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 9 PM, and she was starving. She walked down to Hiei's room considering he had gone there for clothes. She knocked first and opened the door. She was genuinely shocked to see him wearing human clothes. He was in plaid dark blue pajama pants and a white tank top. He had his Hiruseki stone necklace around his neck as well. He looked up when he saw the door open.

"We match." Kitanoe smiled.

"You mentioned a movie earlier." Hiei stated simply. His voice sent chills down her spine, in a good way.

"Yeah. Are you hungry?" Kitanoe asked just as her stomach growled. He nodded as he approached her. He lifted her unexpectedly and they were quickly in the kitchen. Kitanoe smiled and was set back on her feet after a long kiss. She searched through the fridge and the pantry for something to eat. "Any preference?" She looked over at Hiei.

"Just don't make what that Human cooks." Hiei was referring to all the health food Keiko was recently introducing to their palettes.

"You can call her Keiko, you know." Kitanoe looked through the pantry again. With some quick thinking she decided on beef lo mein. After it was cooked, Kitanoe put some into two bowls and set them on the table. Hiei wasn't in the kitchen anymore, she soon realized, but found him in the living room searching through DVD's. "What are you doing?"

"This is pointless."

"Someones grumpy..." Kitanoe mumbled under her breath. "Food's done." She walked back over to the table and soon Hiei joined her. After a few minutes of peaceful eating, Kitanoe had to ask, "So, are we just fuck buddies or is this going to turn into something?"

"We'll see where it goes." Hiei answered with a smirk.

At midnight they were settled on the couch; Hiei had his arm wrapped around Kitanoe's shoulder, and she was snuggled up to him. They finally settled on a movie, but it was terrible. Kitanoe laughed at Hiei's confusion through most of it. "Stop questioning everything! Just watch the damn movie!"

"It makes no sense!"

"It's not supposed to make sense, it's fiction. That means it's not real."

"I know what fiction means!" Hiei glared down at her.

"So then enjoy the movie." Kitanoe taunted as she looked back at the screen.

"I'd rather enjoy something else." His arm slid from around her shoulders and his hand found a place to rest on her thigh. Kitanoe smirked and took the initiative to climb onto his lap. He held onto her hips as they simultaneously moved, grinding into each other and they both started shedding clothes, eager to get to the chase. Kitanoe, fully naked, stood in front of Hiei who was sitting naked on the couch. His muscles were toned and had her biting her lip. The look he was giving her was both sexy and intimidating.

She knelt down in front of him and grasped his fully erect shaft. She kissed the tip before taking him into her mouth. Hiei laid his head back and moaned. His muscles tensed up as he grabbed a handful of her hair. He guided her up and down his shaft as she fucked him with her wet, warm mouth. Hiei pulled her off of his throbbing manhood and brought her into his lap. With simple movements he was able to maneuver inside of her wet core. Kitanoe moaned, gyrating her hips back and forth and leaving scratch marks on Hiei's chest. Just as she was feeling the build of her release, Hiei grabbed her hips and thrust upward. Kitanoe screamed out his name as he started thrusting harder and faster. She had no control of the situation and her orgasm erupted from her, sending her body into wave after wave of pleasure.

Hiei paused just for a moment and kissed her neck before he flipped her onto her hands and knees on the couch. She barely had time to catch her breath and cried out when she felt Hiei inside her once more. Kitanoe attempted to muffle her scream into the couch cushion but felt Hiei grab a handful of her hair and yank her head up.

"If you're going to scream, I want to hear it. " His voice was low, and sexual. She could hardly recognize his voice. He smacked her ass and the sting hit her immediately. She yelped, and was surprised by how much she liked it. Hiei smirked as he chuckled.

He was reading her mind.

Hiei grabbed onto her hips, digging his nails into her skin, as he started thrusting again. He was relentless and showed her no mercy. His movements became faster and harder with each thrust. Kitanoe could feel her release building. Hiei grabbed a fistful of her hair and smacked her ass, HARD, just as she came with the most erotic scream he's ever heard bless his ears. After several more hard thrusts, Hiei came inside her with a territorial growl.

Sweat beaded his forehead as he pulled out and they both moaned at the sensation. Kitanoe sat up and looked behind her to glance at Hiei and his lips instantly met hers. The movie they were watching had ended and was replaying the same Menu Screen music over and over. Kitanoe reached for the remote with her eyes closed and shut it off.

Kitanoe woke up the next morning alone in her bed. Her alarm clock said it was 9. She noticed her body was sore all over as she stretched. Even her head felt sore. She had a grin from ear to ear as she remembered the events from the day before.

As she showered she noticed a few bite marks; not skin broken bite marks, but more of a bruised mark. Her hips were also bruised but she didn't care. All she could think about was Hiei. He was more intoxicating then the Roxy she was so obsessed with before. She was unsure of her feelings for him, however. She liked him, that was obvious.

But did she love him?


	10. Chapter 10 A

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

A/N: Here is the deal. I have really struggled with this chapter and I have TWO versions of Chapter Ten. I need my readers to tell me which one they liked best so I can continue with the story. I am really torn between the two and I can't just pick one to post. Please, if all you review is a letter then that's enough for me. Choose Chapter 10A or Chapter 10B

**Chapter 10 A**

Kitanoe was glaring at the ground as she trudged up to Genkai's temple. She had had every intention of relaxing that day, but the minute noon rolled around Koenma appeared and sent his dream team on a mission, without her, insisting she wasn't strong enough yet. Koenma instructed that she go to Genkai's until they got back.

Apparently the old hag had some answers.

She stopped at the edge of the large stone stair case that lead up to the temple. _I haven't been alone in awhile. Maybe I'll just take a quick trip into the city and have some me time_. She instantly decided that was the plan and walked away from Genkai's temple. After another hour of hiking she found the train station and boarded one just as the doors slid shut and took off.

It was surreal; being in such a human environment after the month she has had. She sat down and glanced around. The only other passengers in her train car were 3 Human adults and 1 stumbling toddler. Kitanoe glanced down and saw an old discarded magazine. She picked it up and flipped through it when she felt a tiny hand on her leg. She looked down to see the toddler Human. She was beautiful with long chocolate hair down to her waist and big brown eyes. She was at least 3 foot tall. She laughed as she patted Kitanoe again.

"Well, hello..." Kitanoe smiled down at her.

"Demon!" The little girl cooed and giggled.

Kitanoe's smiled instantly faded as she met the eyes of the adults in the car. The mother, she assumed, ran over and grabbed the child. "I'm so sorry! She's learning new words, and she doesn't understand...I'm so sorry..."

"It's...alright. No harm done." Kitanoe nodded politely.

The Human mother started to walk away but the toddler cried and screamed. "Demon! Demon!"

"That's enough!" The mother snapped. The toddler continued her fit and Kitanoe felt a small surge of Demon energy.

_That girl is a demon!? _Kitanoe had no idea what to do. She continued to observe the situation. The 3 Humans who seemed so innocent before were suddenly anxious to get off the train. The Human woman held the Demon girl in her lap as if her life depended on it. Tears poured from the girls eyes and her face was red.

"_How much did he say he would pay for this brat_?" Kitanoe's Demon ears picked up their whispered conversation over the child's screaming. Her blood was begining to boil.

"_I'm not so sure the 5k is worth all this_!" The woman glared.

The other male spoke next. "_Hush! Idiots! We get off at the next stop and once we got the money we split! The more demon kids we give this bastard the more money we make_!" He leaned back in his seat, looking rather proud.

Kitanoe stood up and approached the Humans, seething with anger. She smiled venomously at them as she stood in front of them. "Can't help but overhear you." Kitanoe glared. Her Demon energy swirled in an aura around her, scaring the Humans out of their minds.

"She's one of them! Oh dear Enma, save us!" The human woman screeched.

"Enma won't be saving you now, or ever. " Kitanoe took another step forward when the Human woman tossed her the infant child. Kitanoe was caught off guard but easily caught the girl in her arms. She watched as the Humans fled into another car as the train stopped at the station. She looked out the window and saw the 3 Humans fleeing for their lives. Kitanoe held the child protectively as she also left the train and onto the station platform. She walked until she came to a park and set the girl down on a bench. She knelt in front of the girl who had been hiccuping and her face was tear stained. "Hey now, it's alright." Kitanoe spoke soothingly.

The brown eyed girl looked at Kitanoe and hugged her tightly. "T-thank you!"

"You're welcome..." Kitanoe held her protectively. Now she was in a predicament. She had a lonely Demon child, and she couldn't get her back to Demon world without Koenma's permission. Another realization hit her. "Sweetie, where's your parents?"

"They're not here..." The little girl rubbed her eyes.

"Not in Human World? What about Demon World?"

"No!" The young girl was frustrated, "They're not here!"

"Oh...OH..." Kitanoe put two and two together. _Her parents must be dead_...She frowned at the little girl. "Sweetie, what's your name?"

"Hayzel..." She sniffled.

"Hayzel, do you have any family at all?" Kitanoe was running out of options as the tiny girl shook her head no.

"She's an orphan." A voice spoke from behind her. Kitanoe was glad to see it was Koenma. "Genkai told me you hadn't shown up, so I decided to track you down, just in case."

"I just wanted a few hours to myself." Kitanoe explained calmly. "I don't know what to do. I can't just drop her off and say 'Have a great life!', I know what that's like; Not knowing when your next meal is going to be, or if you're even going to be alive to eat it. That's not a life for a child, not even a Demon's."

"I agree. You know, Kitanoe, I wanted you to go to Genkai's to get information." Koenma sat on the bench next to Hayzel. "My father agreed to let you go through a probation period, much like Hiei and Kurama. He is grateful you managed to calm the storm in Demon world. He called off the SDF and apologizes for the DemonX poison. It would have killed you within 24 hours. He only created it for the purpose of sentencing Demons to death, rather then imprison them. "

Kitanoe sat on the sidewalk in front of the bench. Hayzel immediately left Koenma's side and hurried over to Kitanoe and sat in her lap. "Probation, huh? What all does that entitle?"

"You will be under the same guidelines Hiei and Kurama are, which does grant you more freedom, but you'll need to do more then just treasure hunt. Also, my father insists that you retrieve another item we believe is in Human world. I told him you would but not for another week or so. You are much stronger but I wanted to be safe."

Kitanoe nodded. "Why are you being so nice to me? You're usually ill tempered and annoyed."

"You have Botan to thank for that. We are a happening couple now, didn't you hear?"

"Er...No. I don't remember the last time I actually had a conversation with anyone that didn't involve missions, Demon World, or DemonX."

"Who's Botan?" Hayzel looked up at Kitanoe.

"She's a friend. Koenma what am I going to do with Hayzel?"

"I was thinking you could keep her. She seems rather taken with you."

"What!?" Kitanoe grew pale. "I...well...I don't know the first thing about kids. Where would she even sleep?"

"If you want I can send a few Ogres to your place and deck out a room for a 3 year old girl. Your bank account was still rolling a few million, last I checked."

Kitanoe just nodded. Hayzel looked back and forth between them with confused brown eyes.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"I can't just leave her... But, Koenma, can you find her file? I want to look through it. She's just 3 but I want to know everything about her."

"Already done." Koenma handed her a thin folder. "I'll have the Ogres fill the room with toys and clothes and other essentials. Don't be out too late, Genkai is expecting you for dinner." Koenma stood up to leave.

"Wait! What will the guys think? Do they know? Are they okay with this?"

"I'll tell them when they return." Koenma gave a rare smile and waved as he walked away and disappeared into a portal. He always seemed to do that when no one was around to witness it.

Kitanoe looked down at Hayzel and smiled. "You hungry?" Hayzel grew wide eyed with excitement and squealed. Kitanoe laughed as she stood up and took her tiny hand. They walked until they came upon Keiko and Yusuke's restaurant. Kitanoe picked Hayzel up and walked in. She found Keiko and walked over. "Hey."

"Kitty! You're looking so much better!" Keiko was surprised to see her. She looked down at the Demon toddler in Kitanoe's hands. "And who's this little cutie?"

Kitanoe was silent for a minute. _Do I have to be a mother? Can I be a sister? How does this work!? _"Her name is Hayzel. I just saved her from Humans on the train here."

Keiko nearly dropped everything she was holding. "I'll be right back. Sit down over there by the window." Keiko scurried over to a table and gave them their food and drinks with a smile. Kitanoe carried Hayzel over to the empty table and noticed it was away from any eavesdroppers. She let the young girl sit by the window and Kitanoe slid in next to her.

Keiko was back over in 5 minutes and gave Hayzel some crayons and a child's menu to color on. She looked at Kitanoe with urgency. "I'm on break for the next hour. What happened?"

Kitanoe explained the situation on the train and then her run in with Koenma. Keiko was enthralled with the story and had her head cook bring Hayzel some food. She looked at it strangely. Kitanoe whispered to Hayzel. "It's Human food. It's really good, I promise."

Hayzel stared at Kitanoe with trusting eyes before she devoured her kids meal of chicken strips and fries. Keiko spoke up. "So, she's your daughter now?"

"I guess so." Kitanoe answered, unsure.

"Kitty this is...huge. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Kitanoe glared. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Keiko immediately grew defensive. "I didn't mean anything by it! I just meant...well...If you need any help, I'm here for you. I'm sure the others will be too. Maybe our little ones can grow up and be friends." Keiko placed a hand on her belly with a smile.

"You're with child?" Kitanoe was shocked.

"Yes. Yusuke doesn't know yet, but I was told Demon's could sense this kind of thing...Could you not sense anything?" Keiko's voice was suddenly worried.

"How far along are you?"

"8 weeks.."

Kitanoe closed her eyes and tried to sense a life form within Keiko. It was easy tracing Yusuke's Demon energy from the fetus. Kitanoe opened her eyes and smiled at Keiko. "Your little Demon is strong. The reason I didn't sense it right away is because he's still little. Once he starts growing I'll be able to sense his energy better. A Demon won't know you're even with child unless you tell them."

Keiko was silent for a minute before speaking. "Did you say it was a 'He'? Is it a boy?"

Kitanoe could have smacked herself. "Sorry...Yes, it's a boy."

Keiko's face was beaming with joy. "I'm having a boy!"

Kitanoe just smiled and looked down at her own little one who was sipping away at chocolate milk, coloring away at the paper. Keiko went back to work once her break was over and Kitanoe took Hayzel to the mall. Hayzel was excited and amazed at all the stores, the lights, and the high ceilings. Kitanoe laughed at her child like wonder. She took Hayzel into Build a Bear and let her make her own stuffed toy. The only thing she was able to recognize was a dragon. It was black and she had it stuffed lightly, so that it wasn't too stiff. Hayzel carried her with her all over the mall, clutched close to her chest.

At sun set, Kitanoe was back at the train station with Hayzel. She was scared to death to get back on the train and was crying her eyes out. "Hayzel, please. This is much faster. I'll protect you, I promise." Kitanoe spoke softly dispite the toddlers screams. Kitanoe sighed and picked the girl up into her arms. She walked passed the train station and walked into the woods where Humans couldn't see her. She jumped high into a tree and jumped from limb to limb all the way to Genkai's.

As far as Kitanoe was concerned, the child was 3. She had plenty of time to face her fears in the future, but right now she was not going to force her to relive a nightmare. It was nightfall by the time she got to Genkai's. When she entered, Genkai was waiting for her. "You're-" She looked at the sleeping child in Kitanoe's arms. "-Late. What is this?" Kitanoe sighed and explained the events that lead to this very moment. She sat down on the floor with Hayzel still in her arms. "So, Yusuke is having a boy. Hard to believe I started training Yusuke almost 8 years ago. He's 21 and decides to be a father, the Dimwit." Although Genkai's statement was an insult, Kitanoe could hear the pride in her voice. She really loved Yusuke and was proud of him. "So what are you going to do? It's rare for a Demon to just up and adopt a Demon child they don't even know."

"I have already made up my mind. If I can prevent even one Demon child from having the life that I had, then I feel it's worth it. I can't just forsake her. Humans were trying to sell her, and as soon as I see him again, I am going to ask Koenma to look into it. "

"You can't solve all the worlds problems. Just focus on your child for the time being. Lay her down and come eat something." Genkai stood up and exited the room. Kitanoe followed her and laid Hayzel down on a futon in a guest bedroom. She then proceeded to follow Genkai back to the kitchen. She grew wide eyed at the huge feast laid before her. "Yusuke and the others will be here shortly. Koenma is explaining your situation to them. " Kitanoe sat down in one of the chairs when she remembered Hayzels file.

She slipped her hand into her enchanted bag and pulled out the thin file.

**Name: Hayzel (Last name Unknown)**

**Age: 3 years and 4 months (Birth date in Human terms: December 5)**

**Hair color/length: Brown, 24 inches**

**Eye color: Brown.**

**Height: 37 inches**

**Demon Class: Unknown**

**Demon Race: Fire**

**Region: Tourin**

**Living Relatives: N/A**

**All Information: Hayzel was born to 2 S class fire demons, recently deceased. She was kidnapped at the age of two and sold from Human to Demon to Human. She was sought after and used as ransom to lure her Demon parents out of hiding. Once they were slaughtered she was sold once more to a Human who used Demons for torture and games. She was rescued and adopted by Kitanoe Jyoni**.

Kitanoe was shaking with fury when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped out of her chair and sighed in relief when she saw Yusuke and Keiko. Kurama and Hiei followed soon after, with Kuwabara, Yukina, and Shizuru close by. They all went dead silent when they heard a high pitched crying. Kitanoe leaped over her chair and ran to the room she laid Hayzel down in. She picked her up and cuddled her close. "Sh...I'm here, it's okay...Do you want to meet my friends?" She asked the tiny toddler. Hayzel looked at Kitanoe and wiped her eyes.

"Dragon..." She sniffled. Kitanoe bent down and picked up the black dragon and handed it to Hayzel. She walked back into the dining room and felt awkward as she noticed everyone was seated and staring at her. Hayzel snuggled closer to Kitanoe.

"This is Hayzel." Kitanoe broke the silence. The girls instantly surrounded her and squeeled with delight at the cute little Demon.

_Sorry if this ruins anything..I couldn't leave her_. Kitanoe reached out to Hiei, since she could feel him reading her mind.

_I would have killed you had you left her with that Human filth. _

_I do care deeply for you, Hiei._

_And I, you. _

_Does this change anything?_

_The only thing this changes is now I have 2 of you to look after._


	11. Chapter 10 B

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

A/N: Here is the deal. I have really struggled with this chapter and I have TWO versions of Chapter Ten. I need my readers to tell me which one they liked best so I can continue with the story. I am really torn between the two and I can't just pick one to post. Please, if all you review is a letter then that's enough for me. Choose Chapter 10A or Chapter 10B

**Chapter 10 B**

Kitanoe was glaring at the ground as she trudged up to Genkai's temple. She had had every intention of relaxing that day, but the minute noon rolled around Koenma appeared and sent his dream team on a minor mission, without her. Koenma instructed that she go to Genkai's until they got back. The recollection of the conversation still boiled her blood:

_Kitanoe had just gotten out of the shower and was still high from her good mood. She nearly danced out of her room when she noticed the temple was still empty. She heard voices coming from the outside and was shocked to see Koenma talking to Hiei, Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara. "What's going on?" Kitanoe asked suspiciously._

_"I have to send them out on a small mission. They'll be back by this evening, but I think it's best that you're not alone and I have arranged for you to go to Genkai's." Koenma stated._

_"Whoa, you said no missions unless there was an Apocalypse! So why can't I go?!" Kitanoe crossed her arms, clearly agitated. _

_"Like I said, it's a small mission-"_

_"You're sending 3 S class Demons and Kuwabara on an easy mission? Nice try Lord Koenma but I'm not stupid."_

_"It's already been decided. Now move along or you won't be at Genkai's until sunset."_

Apparently the old hag had some answers.

She stopped at the edge of the large stone stair case that lead up to the temple. _I haven't been alone in awhile. Maybe I'll just take a quick trip into the city and have some me time._ She instantly decided that was the plan and walked away from Genkai's temple. After another hour of hiking she found the train station and boarded one headed to Kaidan just as the doors slid shut and took off.

Kitanoe got off at the next stop and was happy for the time away. The town was bustling with Human activity, and she blended in quite nicely. Her bank account was overflowing with spending money due to her past endeavors, and she nearly stopped at every store in walking distance.

Thankfully she had her handy enchanted bag with her.

She bought a bookshelf and at least one hundred books. She bought clothes and shoes. She was thrilled when she found wind chimes, and purchased several to hang outside her window. Around 4:30 she stopped at a restaurant and ate a late lunch; steak and salmon with a baked potato and light salad. Around 5:30 she was sitting on a park bench reading one of her new novels and enjoying the dull ache of the new tattoo on her upper arm when someone sat down next to her.

"Genkai told me you hadn't arrived, so I had to track you down."

"I just wanted a few hours to myself." Kitanoe sighed as she closed her book and looked at Koenma.

"You know, Kitanoe, I wanted you to go to Genkai's to get information." Koenma looked down at Kitanoe. "My father agreed to let you go through a probation period, much like Hiei and Kurama. He is grateful you managed to calm the storm in Demon world. He called off the SDF and apologizes for the DemonX poison. It would have killed you within 24 hours. He only created it for the purpose of sentencing Demons to death, rather then imprison them. "

"Probation, huh? What all does that entitle?"

"You will be under the same guidelines Hiei and Kurama are, which does grant you more freedom, but you'll need to do more then just treasure hunt. Also, my father insists that you retrieve another item we believe is in Human world. I told him you would but not for another week or so. You are much stronger but I wanted to be safe."

Kitanoe nodded. "Why are you being so nice to me? You're usually ill tempered and annoyed."

"You have Botan to thank for that. We are a happening couple now, didn't you hear?"

"Er...No. I don't remember the last time I actually had a conversation with anyone that didn't involve missions, Demon World, or DemonX."

Koenma sighed. "Yes I suppose everyone has been under a lot of stress lately."

"What mission did you send them on that I couldn't be apart of today?" Kitanoe was suddenly curious.

"A private meeting with Enki. Kuwabara was invited simply because Enki wants to make a statement about coexisting with humans. I didn't think it was necessary to send you to a meeting." Koenma stood up. "Don't be out to late. Genkai is expecting you for dinner." Koenma gave a rare smile and waved as he walked away and disappeared into a portal. He always seemed to do that when no one was around to witness it.

Kitanoe sighed when she was alone again. She stood up and tied her enchanted bag onto her waist and walked back into town. The sun was setting and the crowds were thinning out. She stopped and looked to her left. Two males waved her over. She recognized them of course; Felix's drug dealing buddies. She shrugged and walked over. "Look guys, I can't-"

"These ain't for kids, sweetheart." The taller red head spoke.

Kitanoe was suddenly interested. "Excuse me?

"Those Roxy's you like? This throws this under the table!" The dark haired male smirked. "These are Oxy 80's. 1 of these is equivalent to 3 of those Roxy's."

Kitanoe's heart skipped. "How much?"

"Not in your price range." The red head crossed his arms.

"Try me." Kitanoe glared.

"45 a pop."

"Give me 100." Kitanoe glared at the two males.

"You got the cash, Sweetie?" Mister tall, dark, and handsome laughed. "We don't front goods to anyone. First come, first served."

Kitanoe reached inside her bag and pulled out 5k like it was pocket change. "You can give me the extra 11 too, and keep the change."

The two males stared at her with pale faces. They quickly hovered in a corner and Kitanoe watched them count out 111 Oxy 80. They handed her the bottle and she shoved it in her bag. "Thanks boys, keep in touch."

Kitanoe turned away quickly. Adrenaline and guilt plagued her as she boarded the train. Paranoia swept over her, and she felt like she was being watched. Once off the train and safely in the tree tops on the trail to Genkai's, Kitanoe looked at the bottle and opened it with haste and removed 2 of the pills. She popped them into her mouth and put the bottle back into her bag. She hopped from tree to tree until she started to feel the effects of the Oxy. She swayed for a moment before she entered Genkai's. She didn't see anyone.

Tears poured down her face as the guilt became overwhelming. She felt sick and rushed to the nearest bathroom. Kitanoe shoved her fingers down her throat and forced herself to throw up the Oxy. She cried when she was sure it was all out of her system. She sat on the bathroom floor and hugged her knees to her chest.

_You're so weak and pathetic! _She scolded herself. After a few more minutes of self pity, she dug around in her bag for the pills and opened the cap with malice and watched the mountain of pills slide into the toilet. They were starting to dissolve when she flushed. Her heart ached. She couldn't understand why she felt the need to constantly be high, even though she finally had her life on the correct path.

She sat on the floor for what felt like hours when she heard a knock on the door. Kitanoe wiped her eyes and cleared her throat so her voice wouldn't break. "Just a minute." She pulled her hair back into a pony tail and washed her face and rinsed out her mouth. She opened the bathroom door and noticed Genkai looking angrier than a hornet.

"Where have you been all day, don't you know how to follow orders?" Her voice was harsh on the ears but her tone didn't signify anger.

"I can follow orders when I want to." Kitanoe said quietly.

"Clearly. Yukina prepared a meal for the three of us, I think it would be rude if we didn't join her."

"Okay..." Kitanoe followed the old woman and sat down at a small table where food was placed. Yukina looked over at Kitanoe with big crimson red eyes and a smile.

"Kitty! I've missed you! How are things at the beach?"

Kitanoe tried to cheer herself up from her pity trip and smiled. "It'd be better if I didn't destroy every thing while I was training. Thankfully Koenma usually snaps his fingers and the place is repaired..."

"Did Keiko tell you she is with child?" Yukina was so excited to share this news.

Kitanoe's eyes became as big as plates. "With child?! Does Yusuke know?"

"No. The dim wit can't tell, and as far as I know, the others can't tell either. "

"I picked up on it right away." Yukina chimed in. "I could sense him."

Kitanoe just nodded and let Genkai and Yukina carry out the conversation. She ate all the food on her plate to be polite but the truth was she wasn't at all hungry. She really missed Hiei. Yukina waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked. "Sorry, what?"

"What's that on your arm?" Yukina pointed at her arm where her new tattoo was.

Kitanoe grinned. "In the Human Chinese Zodiac, I'm a snake. This is a Cobra spitting fire and it's tail is made of ice. Since I'm half and half. " She loved the tattoo. It was almost a full sleeve. The fire was deep red and orange, the snake it self was black with lavender eyes and the ice was electric blue and looked like frozen fire.

"That's creative! Is it permanent?" Yukina asked innocently.

Kitanoe sighed with a smile. She forgot how innocent Yukina still was to the Human world. "Yes, very permanent."

"What's permanent?" Yusuke's voice sounded from the doorway. He was grinning.

"Judging by that look you must be going to another tournament." Genkai mused as she drank her tea. The room suddenly filled up with Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Hiei. Keiko shyly followed in last. Kitanoe could sense the pregnancy and wondered if anyone else could. She saw Hiei's eyes dart from Yusuke to Keiko as if he put two and two together as well.

"Not for another year. Enki wants to give everyone a fair shot to train before the tournament so he's announcing it tomorrow. Say hello to the new King of Demon World!" Yusuke was cocky.

"Not likely." Hiei intervened.

"Think you can take me on, Hiei?" Yusuke grinned.

"Not in my temple, I just had Koenma get rid of the last pests I had fighting in here. Oh wait, that was you. " Genkai stood up and left the room.

"I'm no pest you old hag!"

"Yusuke, be nice!" Keiko scolded.

"Hey sweet tattoo!" Kuwabara pointed at Kitanoe's arm as he sat next to Yukina. Suddenly attention was focused on Kitanoe as she explained the story behind the body art.

Food was eaten and laughter was shared. Night soon fell and they made the long hike back to their own temple. Kitanoe was concerned that Hiei hadn't said two words to her, not even through telepathy. She got to her room and opened her window and peered outside; No Hiei. She sighed as she unpacked her enchanted bag and put all her clothes away. She was building the book shelf when she heard him.

"What are you doing?"

"Building this complicated stupid thing!" Kitanoe snapped and threw the instructions aside.

Hiei glanced at the mountain of books on her bed before looking down at all the wood pieces. "You're acting Human." He meant it as an insult.

Kitanoe glared. "It keeps me busy thank you very much. Reading happens to be a universal thing and not limited to the Human race."

"Hn."

"While we're getting pissy with each other, why haven't you spoken to me all evening?"

"I'm talking now aren't I?"

"You know damn well what I mean!"

"I read your mind." His voice was low and dark. "I saw what you bought off those fools. I saw you take them."

Kitanoe's heart skipped. "I threw them away. It was a mistake on my part."

"So was sleeping with you."

Kitanoe felt like she was slapped in the face. Her eyes widened as she looked at his harsh stare. "Hiei, you can't mean that."

"You're weaker then I thought. Clearly we aren't compatible and any chemistry felt was a result of the full moon." Hiei crossed his arms.

"Demons can love and have sex and mate other days then the full moon." Kitanoe felt her temper rising. "I wasn't in heat and neither were you, that was nothing but chemistry. How dare you try to make something that actually brought happiness to me a joke."

"No one's laughing." Hiei turned to step out the window.

"Hiei!" She stood up and grabbed his arm. "Don't do this. You bring me comfort that I can't explain. I'm sorry I'm weak and I can't control the Human urges I do have, but this is who I am."

Hiei grabbed her hand that was locked onto his arm and squeezed it tightly before he disappeared out of her window and into the night.

**Remember to Vote for Chapter 10 A or Chapter 10 B!**


	12. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**A/N: Chapter 10 B initially won the votes, however half way through writing this I received two more votes that suggested I somehow keep both chapters and combine both into the story somehow. So with that being said, I am continuing from Chapter 10 B and I will somehow incorporate Hayzel at a later point. Sorry for the long delay for this chapter, I just moved from Kentucky to North Carolina. **

**Chapter 11 **

It was early the next morning when a package arrived at the temple door. Kitanoe's mood was fouled by her argument with Hiei the previous night, and in her anger nearly kicked the package into the ocean. Just as she was about to take a swing at the medium sized box, she recognized it was not in a Human language but a Demon one. Her heart jumped into her throat as she knelt down to inspect it. The sun was just rising and the air was cool. The ocean waves crashing onto the sandy beach was the only sound she heard. Kitanoe popped the tape seal of the package and opened it readily. Inside were 4 different packages, and one was addressed to her; the others were for Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei. Kitanoe glared at Hiei's and had half a mind to crush it. She shook her head as she carried the entire box into the kitchen and set it on the counter. She grabbed her box, which was a little more then a handful, and went into her room.

She sat on her bed and stared at the mysterious box from Demon World. She sighed as she popped the seal on the box, just as easily as the other box, and found an invitation and an orb what is known as A Spirit of Words; A video message as it where. She scurried into the bathroom and locked the door. She tossed the orb against the wall and watched as a mist filled the room, and she was suddenly looking at the Demon King, Enki.

**If you have received this message you are invited to the Demon World Tournament which will be held one year from today! This tournament will only take place amongst B class and higher Demons. Take the time this year to train and strengthen your abilities! Demon World needs it's best soldiers! It needs YOU! Bring your written invitation on the date provided to begin registration**.

Just like that, Enki vanished. Kitanoe fell to her knees, shaking. She wasn't sure if she was more scared, or excited. She ran from the bathroom and grabbed the envelope from her bed and ripped it open. _My name is on it! MY name!_ Adrenaline started to run through her. It rushed to her head and she felt almost light headed. She needed to get out. She hid the invitation under her mattress and dashed out of her room. Thankfully Botan was just getting up and making coffee.

"Botan! Koenma mentioned a mission. I need to do it now. I want to. How do I contact him?"

"Oh well...Uh..." Botan rubbed her eyes. She clearly just woke up. Kitanoe felt bad for ambushing her with questions so early in the morning but if she didn't do something productive soon, she felt like she was going to go insane. "Hold on. I'll call him." Botan gave a tired smile as she reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a compact communicator. "Koenma, Kitanoe wants to talk to you. Something about a mission and that she wants to hurry and do it."

Koenma suddenly appeared in teen form, clearly annoyed from disturbed beauty sleep. Kitanoe had a large folder shoved in her hands. "Everything you need to know is right there. I'm going back to bed." He gave Botan a quick kiss on the cheek before he vanished again. Botan blushed as Kitanoe smirked in triumph.

She made sure she had what she needed and informed Botan of the package, leaving out that she too received something from the box, before leaving the temple.

Kitanoe flipped through the file and the instructions. It seemed easy enough for sure. The item was in the Human World, and in a museum. It was only guarded by humans. Kitanoe frowned as she flipped through the many pages. She thought out loud. "Okay...so King Enma desperately wants this item back, but it's in Human hands, guarded in a Human facility...Koenma made this sound so urgent...I don't understand the importance..." She flipped through the pages several more times.

The item was nothing more then an orb. It was beautiful, but it was only glass. It wasn't made of diamonds, and according the the file it didn't posses any special power. Just a white glass orb. Kitanoe just knew she was missing something. The pieces of this puzzle weren't fitting. She climbed onto the train headed 5 towns away where the museum was located. She placed the file into her enchanted bag and crossed her arms in deep thought. She closed her eyes for just a moment as her thoughts wandered over her mission, the tournament, and her estranged demon lover.

_Damn right, I'm going to that tournament_. She thought. _I am going to prove myself once and for all, to everyone, that I am not some weak childish little girl who needs protecting. I am going to train my hardest. I will do this all by myself or not at all. Maybe I can move out of the temple? Hm..Her mind continued to wander. By the time she arrived at her train station, she had a game plan. First step, get in good graces with King Enma. _

Kitanoe walked East of the train station and came across a large building. It was still open, so she paid her entrance fee and walked in. Everything inside was in a large protected case with alarms. She wasn't even sure what kind of museum this was. It had jewels, Jurassic creatures, mummies, art work, you name it. She finally came across the orb and admired it from afar. When the crowd cleared, she read it's description.

**Said to be millions of years old, this priceless artifact was believed to once be owned by the queen of the dead. It is said to reveal the purity of the souls once condemned for eternity, leading to the second chances of many. It was found 800 years ago and preserved. It was believed to hold the soul of a Deity; the queen of the dead. Auction is set at 20 trillion. This item is made of pearl, and it is rumored to be one of the many pearls the queen wore upon her neck. **

Kitanoe gaped at the price tag. She read it several times when she felt her heart stop beating. Her eyes widened and she fell back onto her ass and shook from anticipation. A passerby stopped to check on her. "Miss? Are you alright?"

Kitanoe nodded. "Y-Yeah..."

"Do I need to call an ambulance? I'm a doctor, you see. You're very pale-"

"I'm alright!" Kitanoe snapped at the man. "Oh...Oh, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm alright, honestly, I am just in shock." She stood and reread the item again as the man hurried away. Once she was alone, she sighed and spoke out loud. "A giant pearl that belongs to the Queen...Shit."

Hiei glared behind Yusuke and Kurama as they watched the image of King Enki disappear. Yusuke was excited, as was Kurama. Hiei glared at the two. "Fools, did you even realize the box was already open before we received our invitations?"

Yusuke stopped and looked down at the red eyed demon. "So someone opened it, big deal. Probably just Kuwabara."

"Actually, Kuwabara was still sleeping when Kitanoe left this morning." Botan spoke from the bar stool at the counter. "She's the one who told me there was a package."

"And Enki said B class demons and higher, that means she got an invitation as well." Kurama crossed his arms. "This will be interesting to see if she accepts or not."

"Of course she'll accept. " Hiei glared at the fox demon.

"So what if she does?" Yusuke crossed his arms. "She can handle herself. Worst case scenario, she dies. Best case scenario she gets to control our asses. Or she could just lose her fight and stay alive. "

"Where is she!?" Hiei ignored Yusuke and turned his attention to Botan.

"Oh, well Koenma sent her on a mission this morning. She seemed pretty eager to leave." Botan always had the jitters around Hiei. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"Hn." Hiei glared before disappearing.

Yusuke blinked, obviously confused. "Okay, what's up with him? And Why did Koenma send her on a mission?"

"I have no idea. Kitanoe seemed eager to leave and asked me to call Koenma. He handed her the folder and that was the end of that." Botan looked at Kurama. "Kurama, you know Hiei better then anyone, do you know what's wrong?"

Kurama shook his head. "No, but I can sense something is troubling him."

It took Hiei an hour to find Kitanoe. He was watching her through his Jagan eye. She was eying all exits and looking for escape routes. She was circling the museum and taking notes on guard positions and security camera's. The glass surrounding the pearl was weight sensitive and sent alarms off if it was removed without turning a key. Hiei watched her slyly steal a key from the guard. After hours, Kitanoe hid until the lights were turned off.

Kitanoe reached out, trying to sense something. She came up empty and dashed back to the pearl as quiet as a mouse. She pulled out the key just as a hand was placed firmly on her arm. Kitanoe wretched her arm from the assailant and flipped backwards into a fighting position. Her eyes softened at first but they quickly returned to glare. "Hiei what are you doing here!?" Kitanoe yelled in a whisper.

Hiei, not at all worried about being quiet, returned the glare and spoke. "I could be asking you the same thing. What the Hell are you doing?"

"I am doing a favor for King Enma. Now go away so I can complete this task in peace without interference." Kitanoe snapped.

"Hn." Hiei crossed his arms and stayed standing in the same spot. "Did you get an invitation from Enki?"

Kitanoe glared. "No." She lied through her teeth. "And even if I did, why would I tell you? I'm not your concern any more. All I am to you is a weak human loving fuck toy." She seethed.

Hiei's eyes darkened with an evil scowl and he vanished. Kitanoe knew he could read her mind, and reveal her lie. She shrugged, and she didn't care. She walked back over to the pearl and inserted the key, turning it all the way to the right. She hesitantly lifted the glass, expecting alarms to sound, but only silence filled her ears. She removed a fake glass orb from her bag that she had purchased from the gift shop and quickly switched the two before replacing the glass cover and removing the key.

She frowned, feeling this was too easy. As she turned around to leave she was met face to face with a gun and a very nervous security guard. Kitanoe threw her hands up. "Whoa there buddy, no need for-"

"Quiet, thief!" The guard snapped. "Our displays have silent alarms! I was watching you this whole time!" He was young and uneasy with his gun.

"Have you ever shot that thing before?" Kitanoe arched an eye brow.

"N-No but I will!" He spoke with confidence and fear.

"No need for that." Kitanoe quickly moved behind him and with a swift chop to the back of the neck caused the security guard to fall unconscious. Kitanoe grabbed him by the back of his collar and kicked his fallen gun across the room. She set him down gently before walking out into the city night sky. Koenma would have a portal ready for her by the temple in a few hours. She jumped high into the trees and gracefully and proceeded to head towards the temple. She felt relaxed as the air hit her face and the sound of the tree's rustling filled her ears.

She sensed him to her left and was too late to dodge his surprise attack.

Kitanoe fell over a hundred feet to the ground with splitting pain in her rib cage. She fell with a loud boom and held her side in agony. She saw a shadow loom over her and she glared up at Hiei.

"I caught you off guard. Even after you sensed me you didn't dodge in time. The tournament is going to be much more ruthless. You're too weak minded, too trusting, and too weak."

"Fuck you! Just leave me alone you pompous ass hole!" Kitanoe screamed, tears pricked her eyes.

"Your enemies won't leave you alone. Any sign of weakness will get you killed. They will slaughter you on site. I am trying to spare you any further embarrassment."

"You mean spare yourself from embarrassment." Kitanoe stood up. "God forbid Hiei the master of the Black Dragon shows up with a Human loving whore. Am I right?" She glared as she balled her fists.

"Don't pretend to know me when you know nothing." Hiei glared.

"You're right! I don't know anything about you! And if this is the real Hiei I am seeing, I'm not impressed. " Her comment caught him off guard. "Yusuke was Human once too. You were loyal to him! Whether you like it or not, you're also loyal to Kuwabara. So excuse me if living in the Human World gave me peace. Sorry that I picked up a few Human habits that are absolutely childish and meaningless. SO SORRY I embarrass you and our ENTIRE Demon race! If I die in this tournament, than it's on me, not you. Get out of my way and stay out of it. Your arrogance is going to get you killed, Hiei." Kitanoe shoved passed Hiei and leaped into the tree's again. Just as she landed, Hiei knocked her back down with the hilt of his sword. Kitanoe fell on her back after falling the extra hundred feet down. He loomed over her and glared.

"We're not finished here."

"The hell we are. Either kill me or face me at the tournament. Either way we're done here." Kitanoe stared up at the night sky in defeat. Her heart ached, and she knew Hiei could feel her deep emotional agony.

She could almost feel him smirk. "I won't kill you now. Be warned, if we face each other at the tournament, I won't be easy. I won't be gentle. If I have to mangle and or kill you to achieve victory, then I'll do so. "

She didn't feel him anymore. She sat up with an aching rib cage and looked around to find he was gone. Kitanoe choked back a sob as she jumped into the tree's a third time and proceeded to head to the portal for Spirit World.

Kitanoe was nervous as she stood before the large and powerful King Enma. She bowed to him before presenting the pearl. "My Lord, Prince Koenma was unaware of the bigger details of this mission. Nothing in that file stated that this once belonged to his late Mother. " She nearly flinched away when King Enma's hand, which was 3 times the size of Kitanoe, picked up the pearl with his large burly fingers.

"Koenma isn't always trusted with information. I fear he will become too involved. After what happened with Yusuke Urameshi I have come to realize that Koenma is not capable of the jobs I need done. "

Kitanoe nodded a moment. "Why did Yusuke become a Spirit Detective again? Why did you allow it?" She asked out of pure curiosity.

"My son was lonely. He loves Yusuke Urameshi like a brother and it would have been wrong of me to keep them further apart. Urameshi is always on watch because of his Mazaku blood, also he wanted his old job back." Kitanoe nodded, standing there listening. "I have a proposition for you, Thief."

Kitanoe grew wide eyed, The way he said Thief was in the highest regard. He spoke with respect and dependability. "Anything, my Lord."

"I need you to work for me, not my son." King Enma started. This threw Kitanoe off guard. "You will carry out the missions that I can not trust Koenma and Urameshi with. Your probation will be lifted indefinitely and I will relocate you."

"But my Lord!" Kitanoe spoked exasperated. "Pardon me for sounding disrespectful, but why the heck do you want me all of a sudden! You just tried to kill me with DemonX!"

"Yet you completed this mission for me, after finding out the truth." Enma pointed out. "That proved your loyalty. I apologize for the DemonX. Demons have not been a favorite race of mine." He sat back in his over sized throne. "You have great skill, and your loyalty to a cause knows no bounds. I can trust you to keep your heart out of it and keep your head in it. " He folded his hands. "Do you accept?"

Kitanoe swallowed hard. The idea was tempting. "You mentioned relocating?"

"Yes. Away from the other detectives. "

Kitanoe was shaking from anticipation. "In...Human World?"

"No. I need you at my convenience. You'll be here in Spirit World. I will send you where you are needed."

"King Enma...I accept." Suddenly Kitanoe's arm was searing from pain. She gasped as she slid her shirt sleeve up. The Kings Symbol was blazoned across her tender flesh. Now both of her arms were tattooed.

"You now belong in the King's Army. They are an even higher force then my SDF. " King Enma snapped his fingers and two soldiers appeared; one male and one female. "This is Yuki and Kaoru. They will help you adjust and train you as needed."

Kitanoe stared at Yuki and Kaoru with wide eyes. _I'm a Demon in the Kings Army!_


	13. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 12**

"Try harder, Demon filth!" Kaoru snapped at Kitanoe. She was vicious in her training techniques. The woman had short military cut hair and piercing yellow eyes. Her arms were crossed as she loomed over Kitanoe's form.

Kitanoe was on her hands and knee's, breathing heavily. They had been training for 4 days straight without sleep, food, or water. She had been in The King's Army now for 5 months, and she hated Kaoru with a livid passion. It was 5 months ago that she last saw Koenma, Botan, and the others. Kaoru learned of Kitanoe's passion for the Demon World tournament and began training her not only for the Army but for the tournament as well. They were going to use her as a pawn to gain control over the Demon World if she proved successful.

Kaoru kicked Kitanoe under her jaw line and sent the weakened Demon flying across the training grounds. Kitanoe collided with several stands of weapons and equipment and didn't bother to get up. "Weak!" Kaoru snapped.

Kitanoe lifted her head, shaking uncontrollably. "I...I fucking hate you!" She gasped for air.

Kaoru glared. "At least your spirit and arrogance in unharmed. We will rest for 24 hours before we resume. I suggest you use those hours wisely." Kaoru turned and left the room without so much as another word.

Yuki, her male trainer, appeared through the wall as if he were some kind of ghost. Kitanoe was used to his disappearing acts by this point. Yuki was light blond with pale green eyes. He offered his hand to Kitanoe. "I advised you not to piss her off."

Kitanoe glared as she accepted his hand. He pulled her to her unstable feet. "She needs to be put on medication, that's what she needs." Kitanoe sighed as Yuki wrapped her arm around his shoulder and helped her walk to her dorm. Her limp was noticeable. "Please tell me I train with you this week." Kitanoe winced with every step. Yuki simply nodded as they stopped in front of a blue door with the number 6117 on it. "Thanks, Yuki."

"I'll be back for you in 24 hours." Yuki bowed and disappeared through the floor.

Kitanoe shook her head as she placed her palm on the pad next to her door. It scanned her palm quickly before addressing her. She heard a familiar robotic voice sound off. "Kitanoe Jyoni, Soldier 6117. Access Granted." The faint sound of the door unlocking sounded and Kitanoe opened the door, shutting it behind her. Once locked, she slumped against the door and sat on the ground.

Her heart was shattered. She missed the Human World. She especially missed Hiei, even with his hateful behavior. She didn't want to be someones pawn in the game of universal domination. She held back her tears as she stood back up and limped to the shower. The hot water was more then she could have asked for. She was almost too tired to eat once she was dressed, but she knew that wouldn't be wise. She ate 2 simple sandwiches, a bag of chips and drank 2 full glasses of water. She proceeded to her room where she took 2 "Healers"; a Spirit World, non addictive, medication that heals all wounds in 4 hours or less. Without them she would probably be dead, or at least a walking corpse look-a-like. Her head hit the pillow and she slept for 16 solid hours.

* * *

"I can see you're still searching for her." Kurama's calm demeanor startled Hiei out of his Jagan induced trance. Hiei stared down at the fox Demon with a glare.

"What do you want now, Kurama?"

"You won't be able to trace her. She is in The Kings Army. You know they are under the highest protection, not even your Jagan eye could find-"

"I can sense her. " Hiei continued his glare. "I can't see her, but I can sense her. It's maddening."

"It's been almost half a year, Hiei. " Kurama pointed out. "There's a good chance she won't even be allowed to enter the tournament now that she works for Enma. "

Hiei visibly sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree.

* * *

Kitanoe woke up to pure darkness. Looking at the clock she sighed as she realized she still had 8 hours to go. She stretched and got out of bed slowly, expecting her body to ache all over. She was always surprised to find out she was never sore due to the Healers. After a quick shower, she devoured a breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy and a 16 ounce steak, medium rare. She tied her hair and dressed quickly before heading down to The Commons; a large gathering room or living room. She was surprised to see Yuki there.

"Yuki?" Kitanoe approached slowly.

"Just one moment, I never miss this show."

Kitanoe stared at the television screen and had to smile. "You're really watching that?"

"Oh, yes. I never miss it. " Yuki was glued to the TV. It was also the first time since meeting him that Kitanoe was witnessing him do something completely human.

"Yuki, are you-"

"Human? Hardly. Nor am I Demon. I am of a different class and breed all together, but I will explain later. Now leave me to my show, female." He waved her away.

"Yuki...Am I allowed to-"

"See Koenma and get permission to go to the Human World? No. Unfortunately because you are Demon there are certain restrictions you must abide by. Think of it as a probation period, to gain trust. After the tournament you should have the grounds to do whatever you please." Yuki glanced at her with his light green eyes. She took the time to notice the show was paused for commercial break.

"I feel like a prisoner." Kitanoe blurted out.

"Prisoner? My dear, don't you realize how much power you have? We are above the SDF. You can't get any higher then that unless your name is Enma or Koenma. You are free to do as you please."

"Then why does Kaoru insist on the brutal training sessions to train me up for the Demon Tournament? She said it herself, I am a pawn to be used to gain power and control of the Demon World if I win."

"Kaoru is full of shit." Yuki cursed. It shocked Kitanoe. Yuki was always so well mannered and proper. He never said an ill word in the time Kitanoe spent with him. " She just likes to push your buttons, see where your limits are." He sipped quietly on what she assumed was tea.

"Well...I can't stand her."

"No one can. But she is one of King Enma's top front line soldiers, and by rank you need to respect her. "

His tone startled Kitanoe but she didn't say anymore.

Kitanoe and Yuki proceeded to train for the next several days. Kaoru and Yuki switched off every other week, and every day Kitanoe grew stronger. 7 months flew by quickly and 2 weeks before the tournament she was promoted to 3rd soldier, only Kaoru and Yuki stood in her way of being the best. She was faster, smarter, and could harness energy like she never could before. She cut her hair, not as short as Kaoru kept hers, but it was still pretty short. Her hair was a lot like Yusuke's without the gel, only her hair was a little longer and looked more feminine.

"You ready for registration?" Kaoru smirked at Kitanoe from the door way of her dorm. "Nice hair by the way."

Kitanoe ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I hate it, but thanks. Yeah, I'm ready."

"Yuki and I will be coming with you for support, or in case you need back up for any reason."

"You can't interfere in the matches." Kitanoe frowned.

"I'm not talking about the matches, I'm talking about any outside arena drama." After Kitanoe nodded, Kaoru spoke again. "You'll need to be in disguise."

"What? Why?"

"We can't have anyone recognizing your tattoo at first. You'll be asking Demons to slaughter you. Also Koenma's team will be there, and we don't need anyone getting emotional or holding back. You'll be able to fight them better if they don't know who you are."

Kitanoe sighed as Kaoru handed her a long navy blue hooded cloak with attached mask that covered all but her eyes. She wore it and actually liked it. "I feel like a ninja."

"Well you were trained by one." Kaoru smirked. "Now grab that invitation of yours and let's go. Yuki put it on your desk."

"Oh, Kaoru. You dressed the poor girl like a mummy." Yuki spoke from the door way. He and Kaoru were wearing white uniforms with gold trim.

"Its necessary Yuki." Kaoru glared.

Kitanoe grabbed her invitation and looked between the two. "Hey! Quit arguing like an old married couple and lets go to Demon World!" Her excitement was building.

"You have the qualifications to make a portal now. We trained you, so give it a shot." Yuki folded his arms as he leaned against the wall.

Kitanoe stared blankly for a minute before she confidently placed her hands out in front of her. She closed her eyes and preformed several signs with her hands in a quick skilled motion before chanting, "_Kisera Lo daxi mosh xexia_!"

It took a few seconds, but a portal to Demon World opened before them.

"Nice job there." Kaoru admired the work. She stepped into the portal without waiting for Yuki or Kitanoe.

"After you Milady." Yuki bowed and waited for Kitanoe. She gladly stepped inside and soon she was standing next to Kaoru with Yuki not far behind.

Kitanoe, still in disguise, walked over to the registration table and signed in. Several names caught her attention on the scroll. _They're already here_! Her heart stopped. She continued her sign in and received hotel room keys for her and her plus 2 that she was allowed. She walked back over to Yuki and Kaoru.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Kaoru noticed as she was given her room key.

"They're here already." Kitanoe could barely contain the hurt in her voice.

"Darling, they're not your team anymore. We are." Yuki said it was nicely as he could.

"They're still my friends!" Kitanoe frowned.

"They are obstacles standing in your way for victory. You are a high A class Demon, start acting like it." Kaoru snapped.

Kitanoe glared at her superior. She hated being reprimanded like a child. "I need to be alone." She walked passed them after giving Yuki his room key and ended up getting lost in a crowd of Demons. She over heard many conversations; betting, contestants, seats, hotel rooms, and other mindless chatter.

For the first time in a year, she regretted leaving the temple.

She stopped when her eyes met a familiar red eyed girl with light blue hair. _Yukina..._She almost panicked until she remembered she was in disguise. Yukina's eyes met Kitanoe's, and even she looked puzzled. That's when Kitanoe noticed the others were with her; Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei. Also Kuwabara, Shizura, and Keiko who was holding an infant child, were there as well. Kitanoe felt her heart break into a million pieces upon seeing Hiei and quickly turned to leave when a hand grabbed her.

She turned to see Yukina, still staring at her eyes. "Kitty?" She asked unsure.

Kitanoe pulled Yukina out of eye sight and ear shot. "Yukina, you need to stay away from me. They can't know it's me, I'm not allowed to reveal myself."

There were tears in Yukina's eyes. "We've missed you...even -"

Kitanoe held her hand up, unable to vocally ask her to stop talking about Hiei. "Please Yukina. This is hard for me as it is. I miss you all too..." Her voice cracked. "This is something I need to do, that I have been told to do. Please just trust me. I will find you all when the tournament comes to a close. "

Yukina wiped her eyes and nodded. Kitanoe watched her get back to her group before she trailed back to find the hotel, tears streaming down her face the entire time.

Kaoru and Yuki looked up once she opened the door. "What happened?" Yuki exclaimed as he put his book down.

"I'm done. I can't keep doing this. I miss Human World, I miss my friends damnit. All I have is you two, and no offense but it's been a pretty lonely life for the past year." Kitanoe slumped down in the recliner, taking off her hood and mask.

"I suppose it wouldn't help to tell you tomorrow is the last day of your probabtion? You will be free to roam where you please, so long as you come when you're called." Kaoru spoke and she sounded bored.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Kitanoe glared.

"Oh don't flatter yourself, I hate everyone."

"It's true." Yuki spoke from his spot. "We just ordered room service. Care to sit with us?"

Kitanoe looked at him suspiciously. She always ate alone, not one time was she asked to eat with anyone in the Army. "Why?"

"Because you've grown on me. You're 3rd in command now, Kitanoe. You should feel very proud of what you accomplished in a year. Most new recruits can't make it this far in a year. New recruits take up to 5 years to get trained the way we taught you." Yuki shrugged with a smirk on his beautiful face.

"We needed you ready for this tournament." Kaoru spoke. Her voice was really starting to piss Kitanoe off.

"I really hate you." Kitanoe growled.

"Good."

"Kaoru, can it. " Yuki stepped in. "How can you expect her to feel apart of the team if you're always a hateful shrew."

"She is a Demon. I haven't liked this decision ever since it was made. I was hoping that the training would kill her but she kept proving herself, and now she is my third while you are my second. Our job is to kill Demon's-"

"Our job is to protect the innocent, whether they are Human or Demon." Yuki glared.

Kitanoe had had enough. She hurriedly stood up and left the room once more. She stormed down the hall way and got into the elevator. Once inside she replaced her hood and mask. She waited impatiently to drop 25 floors and once at the bottom she hurried out of the elevator only to run right into someone. "Sorry! I-" She stopped. "This just isn't my day..." She breathed.

She was face to face with Hiei, just at Yuki appeared from the wall. "Ah, dear sister, there you are. " Yuki spoke as he looked Kitanoe's friends up and down. There was a brief silence. The others were there as well, but Kitanoe couldn't stop looking at Hiei.

Kitanoe realized Yuki was covering for her. She couldn't break her eyes away from Hiei. Panic set in as she realized she was about to blow her whole cover. Yuki wrapped his arm around her and began to lead her away. "I do apologize, she has social anxiety. I told her it wouldn't be wise to come to such a gathering but she insisted." Yuki bowed and Kitanoe followed suit. They hurried along and Kitanoe didn't notice Yuki looking back and glaring at her old friends.

It was a warning to stay away.


	14. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 13**

"Well that was weird." Yusuke murmured as he held the elevator door open for his friends and comrades. Once they were all piled in the spacious elevator they pressed button 23 and waited for their ascent up the building.

"Yeah. That guy kept glaring at us. Think you guys will fight him in the tournament?" Kuwabara crossed his arms, as if deep in thought.

"It could be possible. Everyone here knows who we are. Our blood will be the victory they desire if they defeat us." Kurama had his eyes closed as he leaned against the wall next to Hiei, who was silent as usual.

"That girl looked scared to death. I bet she's not fighting in this thing." Kuwabara mused. Yukina shifted uncomfortably next to him. She knew that girl had been Kitanoe, and she didn't like keeping secrets. She felt as if she was lying to her friends.

"This tournament isn't for cowards." Yusuke looked at Kuwabara. "For all we know that could have been an act so we'd let our guards down."

"You're always so paranoid." Keiko butted in. "Maybe not everyone here is after you, there is a bigger prize at stake. " She coddled her son close to her chest. He was 3 months old and looked like a mini version of Yusuke.

Yusuke sighed as he ran a hand through his slicked back hair. "I really wish you would have stayed at home with him Keiko. It's too dangerous here."

"I can handle myself just fine, Yusuke!" Keiko glared.

The elevator remained quiet after that until they got to the 23 floor. The two large rooms were joined into one by a connecting door in the center. They sat down with drinks and a deck of playing cards, and as usual Hiei sat out and stared at the ocean while sitting in the window.

* * *

"Next time you go wandering, perhaps it's best if Kaoru or I escort you." Yuki scolded Kitanoe lightly as they walked up the stairs.

"Kaoru can die and rot in a snake pit." Kitanoe glared up at Yuki.

Yuki sighed with a slight smile on his face. "Then I suppose I will do the escorting. Tell me, was that red eyed male the one you've been pining after?"

Kitanoe just stared at him as she stopped in the stair well. "What does it matter?"

"I can read your mind, Milady. I am a Shadow."

Kitanoe grew pale. "A...Shadow? They don't exist, they're just-"

"Legend? Oh I assure you, I am very real." Yuki spoke, and he sounded intimidating for the first time since Kitanoe first spoke to him. "How else would I have the ability to go through walls, floors, and ceilings? My powers can not be measured. I am both the master of stealth and psychic abilities. "

"You're just now telling me this?" Kitanoe tried to sound calm but her voice failed her.

"It never came up in conversation, so I never said anything." Yuki shrugged as he folded his arms over his chest. "Now, are you going to answer my question?"

Kitanoe glared. "It...It was a one night thing and I let my bloody emotions get the best of me. He made his point clear, which is why I accepted this job."

"Hm...His thoughts were all about you. I am not certain he knew it was you under that dreadful hood, but he was thinking about you, Kitanoe. "

"So, why do you care? Let's just drop it alright." Kitanoe made an attempt to pass him and was stopped by his arm. "Let me pass Yuki."

"I can read your mind." He reminded her. "Think about killing Kaoru and I and King Enma will know about it immediately. You will be tried for treason and he won't let you bypass another execution."

Kitanoe's eyes widened as she looked at her commanding officer. "Yuki, what the hell!"

"I can see into your past. I know every detail inside and out."

"Make your fucking point."

"Such language." Yuki continued to tease in a calm voice. "My point is, if it's love you want, look no further then I. I said Hiei's thoughts were about you, I didn't say they were in any way positive. He wants you to die by his hand, in a horrible, painful death."

Kitanoe felt the air leave her lungs. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie?" Yuki's hand caressed Kitanoe's cheek. In an instant Kitanoe felt a wave of anger over take her entire body as she grabbed Yuki's wrist with quick precise motion, nearly breaking the Shadow's wrist.

"Stay off me, Shadow. I have no reason to believe you and I never have. I work for King Enma, not you or Kaoru. I am free to do as I please starting tomorrow, where I will confront Koenma's team. May King Enma have mercy on your soul if you're lying to me." Kitanoe released him, nearly knocking him over the railing.

Yuki found his footing and adjusted himself accordingly with a smirk on his face. "So I take it your answer is no to the love thing?"

"No. Negative. Absolutely not. Not for a million dollars, not if my life depended on it. Straight up NO." Kitanoe turned and left the stair well, making sure her disguise was still in tact. She felt powerful. She had no idea what had come over her, and Yuki was the last person she thought she'd blow up on, but she liked feeling this way. She was in control and she stood up for herself.

* * *

Yuki made his way back to Kaoru looking triumpant. Once he shut the door he sighed and sat down with his book. Kaoru gave him a questionable stare. "What's your problem?"

"Our Kitty-Cat is coming into her own. If she wasn't holding back she would have broken my arm." Yuki almost looked distraught.

"She attacked you! We must report this immediately!" Kaoru stood.

"That won't be necessary. I provoked the poor girl. I needed to make sure her head was in the right place. She keeps losing sight of what's important."

"And what would that be?" Kaoru frowned.

"Do you remember when we replayed all of Yusuke Urameshi's missions to gain an insight on his commitment, and we watched him fight Suzaku of the Four Saint Beasts? And again when he faced Toguro?"

"Make your point Yuki."

"He couldn't tap into his full potential because he couldn't figure out what he was fighting for. Even Kuwabara had to "die" before Yusuke could snap just enough to tap into his power. You know as well as I do that Kitty-Cat is one tantrum away from becoming an S class Demon. She will become stronger then either of us and I think it's our responsibility to bring it out of her."

"You're joking!" Kaoru snapped. "An S class Demon on King Enma's Army will further shame us! We are a symbol of justice and righteousness, and her Demon blood in this army has tainted our beliefs!"

"Wrong, Kaoru." Yuki glared. "Her Demon blood has strengthened our army and has brought us closer together as a unit. There isn't an ounce of judgment or prejudice in that female, and through training, she has strengthened you as well."

Kaoru glared as she sat back down. "What are you suggesting."

"We piss her off. The seeds of mistrust have already been sown. I convinced her that her beloved Jagan master wants to murder her, and she believed me, whether she outwardly admitted to it or not her mind says otherwise."

"So how do we set off her tantrum?"

"I haven't thought that far yet."

"YUKI!" Kaoru exclaimed in shock.

* * *

Kitanoe sat crossed legged on the rocks. The oceans waves broke violently against the wet stones. Her eyes were closed as she was in a deep meditative state. It was hard to clear her mind. An aura of ice surrounded her as she inhaled, and as she exhaled the aura tuned into fire. She did this repeatedly to establish balance with her Demon halves. The ice would freeze the waves while the fire would melt and evaporate them. She snapped her eyes open and threw a punch behind her. Her fist was caught by an ice apparition with pale blue hair and sea green bangs. His eyes were the same color as his hair, and the lack of emotion in them sent her on edge.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Touya." He still held her fist.

Kitanoe thought that name was familiar. It took her longer then she wanted to admit that she remembered him from the Dark Tournaments; a former member of Team Masho. Kitanoe slowly withdrew her fist but kept her guard up. "Can I help you, Touya?"

"I was intrigued by your display. How is it you can conjure both fire and ice with such precision?"

"I've been training my ass off for this tournament."

Touya was silent for a moment. "Do you honestly think you can win?"

"No." She answered honestly. "I am here to get as far as I can, for myself. I want to prove something to-" She stopped as she stared at the rock under their feet. She sighed. "I want to prove something to someone, and to myself. I don't care if I lose."

Touya just nodded. "The tournament preliminaries are to be selected tomorrow in 6 arenas. A winner will be chosen from each arena and they will go head to head in one on one combat with another. The finals will continue with the 3 strongest competitors."

Kitanoe stared at him oddly. "Okay, I appreciate that considering I didn't know, but why are you telling me?"

Touya shrugged. "Those of us who have been here before are tracking down the new comers. We find it's much easier and orderly when everyone is informed. In Demon World, orderly can be life saving."

Kitanoe nodded. "Yeah I can agree with you on that..." Touya stood there in silence. The waves crashing onto the rock brought a peaceful surrounding. Kitanoe spoke again. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"How is it a Demon is in King Enma's Army?"

"What!? How did you-" Kitanoe couldn't breathe.

Touya held his hand up. "Rumors. I saw the Kings Mark on your arm."

Kitanoe quickly pulled her cloak over herself and gave Touya a begging look. "I can't believe how fast word travels in this world! I am supposed to stay in disguise! Please, Touya, I am begging for your mercy! Don't say a word!"

Touya stayed silent for a moment, pondering over his discovery. "You were used to work with Yusuke and Kurama?" He watched as Kitanoe nodded her head yes silently. Touya closed his eyes. "I will keep your secret. However if we face each other in this tournament I will gaurentee nothing. I will reveal you if it gets me further ahead should you pose a problem to me. " He bowed before jumping from rock to rock until he made it to the cliff looking over the ocean. She watched him walk away as she fell to her knees.

"Everyone here wants me dead...It's no wonder I need a damn disguise."

Early the next morning Kitanoe was staring at the roster for the 6 round preliminaries. She was alone in arena 1; no one else she knew would be there. Arena 2 would be difficult. Kurama, Touya and Jin were the names she recognized. Arena 3 had Yusuke. Arena 4 had King Enki. Arena 5 had Hiei, and lastly Arena 6 didn't have anyone she recognized either.

Kitanoe sighed in relief. She believed she could make it passed the first round. The second round would be difficult, and so would the final round. In less than a week the tournament would begin.

"Oh shit!" She realized as she stood up.

Yuki yawned as he exited his bedroom. "What are you distraught about now?"

"My name is on the roster! I forgot to write down a fake name!"

Yuki's eyes snapped open as he snatched the roster away and reread the playing fields. "You were just begging to be caught, weren't you?"

"It didn't occur to me to have a fake name too!"

"Well, so much for your disguise. Just go out there and don't get killed." Kaoru spoke from the door way of her room.

* * *

Hiei stared at the roster in his hands. Kurama and Yusuke read it over his shoulder and gave each other knowing looks. Yusuke grinned. "Well at least none of us will have to fight each other until the semi finals. "

"Not now, Yusuke." Kurama whispered.

About that time Kuwabara waltzed over and read over the same name they were all stuck on. "Oh hey, so Kitanoe is here!" Having it said out loud made Hiei snap. He left the room in a rage they hadn't seen before. "Was it something I said?" Kuwabara mumbled.

"Well yeah, you big idiot." Yusuke shook his head.

Hiei had half a mind to beat on every door until he found her. He tried to reach her through telepathy and thought he had failed, until she responded.

_What do you want, Hiei?_ Something wasn't right with her voice.

_Where are you?_

_Why do you care? I thought you wanted to tear me apart, if mangling me meant you winning._

_I didn't mean that_. Why the hell did he just admit that?

_It's too late, Hiei, what's done is done. What was said can't be unsaid. _

_Will you see me?_

_I will tomorrow before my Arena starts. _

Just like that she was gone. Hiei couldn't feel her in his head anymore. He tried reaching out again but he was unsuccessful this time.

"She's here..." He said out loud to himself.

* * *

"Is everything in place, Yuki?" Kaoru looked at her second in command. Their plan was about to unveil. She had sent Kitanoe off on a small errand for food so she could talk to Yuki.

"Yes. Kitanoe has no idea I have entered the tournament and that I am under a different name. Shadows may not be Demons, but only Humans are excluded from participating. I will kidnap Yusuke Urameshi's child, and I will kill the boy if necessary."

"Yuki, it was pleasure working with you." Kaoru bowed.

"As it was a pleasure to work with you. Remember, this is for the good of all races. Demon's need to learn to love Humans, and so long as Enki or Yusuke win this tournament that can be possible. But it is more important for King Enma to learn to love Demon's as well. Kitanoe is the key to Spirit World's tolerance and success. This will be the first step to Worldly order, Kaoru. You and I are creating history."

"And Kitanoe has to be all powerful for that? Yuki she will kill you if you threaten Yusuke, his family or his friends." Kaoru, the stone cold warrior of Spirit World, was nearly in tears.

"Not all powerful. Just powerful enough to gain the respect of King Enma and the rest of our soldiers. No one will take her seriously if she can't rise to the challenge. "

"When will you take the boy?"

"Only when Kitanoe and I are left. I am a Shadow after all, I can be in more then one place at a time. Once I have the boy our plan will fall into action." Yuki sounded eerily calm.

"Yuki, she will kill you."

"And you will have a new second by your side."

"She'll never forgive me if she finds out I knew about your plan. She may even kill me too."

"Then Spirit World will have a new leader for it's Army. Farewell Kaoru, I must take my leave before Kitanoe returns." Yuki bowed before sliding through the floor.

Kaoru collapsed onto the floor, holding back her tears.


	15. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, its characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 14**

Kitanoe woke early that morning. She showered and skipped breakfast. Her hands were shaking as she redressed in the cloak. She decided it was a good idea to hide for as long as possible even if people now knew her name, they didn't know what she looked like. She was pale. Kitanoe took a deep breath as she exited the room and walked outside. The sun was just rising and the air was brisk. The wind blew at the edges of her cloak as she walked to where the competitors could watch the screens of the Arena.

8 large screens were displayed, showing different areas of Arena 1. Her match was due to start in 2 hours. Early birds started to fill the seating area when she sensed them behind her. Kuwabara's voice cut into her thinking.

"Hey there's that hooded girl again!"

Without looking at them, she walked away and headed towards the competitors tent where they were to be transported to the arena. She could feel Hiei trying to talk to her and groaned in frustration.

_Kitanoe, where are you?_

_Hiei, it's best if we wait for our reunion. _

_That's not what I asked._

_Glad to see your attitude hasn't changed. Wish me luck, Hiei._

Kitanoe cut off the conversation and watched as the tent continued to fill. There was supposed to be 100 Demon's per Arena but there was so much more than that. With 30 minutes left on the clock they were transported to the arena almost instantaneously. Kitanoe looked around to see she was standing alone. Her and her competitors were well separated. A timer was clicking down with 10 minutes to go.

Her slow Demon heart started to race as she ticked off the seconds. A buzzer sounded and she took off into the trees. She began picking off the weaker B class Demons by piercing their hearts with tiny ice bullets.

She was hit from the side.

She fell to the ground and all the air left her lungs as a Demon stood in front of her. She quickly got to her feet and dodged his futile attack. He was swinging wildly and she dodged each swipe of his sword. She grew tired of the chase and knocked him to the ground with a single punch. She stepped on his chest and used her ice sword to stab him through the abdomen. Kitanoe brutally lifted him like a shish kabob and flung him into the air over the arena. She retracted her ice sword and headed further into the forest.

Kitanoe searched for 10 minutes and couldn't find a soul. Her guard was up as she rounded a corner and saw Yuki. She paled considerably. "My dear, Kitanoe, it's a pleasure to finally see you."

"Yuki...What are you doing here?"

"Competing, silly girl. You and I are all that's left."

"What..." Kitanoe was speechless. She saw Yuki turn around and with ease and little movement beheaded the Demon coming for him.

"Correction, now we are the final two." He disappeared into the earth and reappeared behind her. He gently removed the hood of her cloak and slid it off her shoulders. "Time to show the world who you are, dearest Kitanoe. I'll let you have the first move."

"Yuki...I..." Kitanoe couldn't form words. She had no idea Yuki even entered the tournament. She had no idea he COULD enter the tournament. Her mind was in shambles.

"My dear, get on with it before I do something drastic."

* * *

"Kick his ass, Kitanoe!" Yusuke yelled at the screen. "Shut his stupid face!" Yusuke had his fist in the air when Keiko screamed and silenced him. He almost hesitated as he looked over to her.

"Yusuke! He's missing! Kyo just disappeared from my arms!"

"Yusuke Urameshi." Yuki spoke from the TV. He was holding Kyo. "I have your son. You better hope your friend here can get her act together in time to save him."

"You Bastard!" Yusuke yelled. Kurama and Hiei instantly stood up. "Hold on Kyo!"

Yuki laughed. "You can't enter this arena fool." A version of Yuki, a Shadow, appeared in front of Yusuke. "The force field alone would kill you. You'll just have to depend on little Kitty-Cat to save him."

Kitanoe looked at Kyo who was sound asleep in Yuki's arms. She was stunned. Speechless. Yuki was really going to kill Kyo if she didn't save him. "Yuki, why are you doing this?"

"To unlock your S class potential. I had you avoiding your friends so they wouldn't be close enough to interfere."

Kitanoe closed her eyes. Fear and Anger swelled through her body as she spoke. "Yusuke...I need you to trust me."

She heard Yuki laugh until she opened her eyes. They were glowing a bright ice blue color. Kitanoe waved her arm and encased Yuki's legs and the ground in ice. The shadow in front of Yusuke disappeared back into Yuki's body. Yuki glared before he smirked."You'll have to do much better then to try and beat me with the attacks that I taught you." He seethed before he jerked his legs from the ice, shattering it into shards. Kyo stirred in Yuki's arms.

* * *

Keiko had fainted and was being tended to by Yukina and Shizuru. Yusuke had his fists clenched and was shaking from rage. He was going to transform into his Demon self soon.

Hiei looked at the detective before looking back at the screen. Hiei knew she had to kill Yuki and he wasn't sure if she'd have the heart to kill someone she had once considered a team player. Yuki's thoughts were clear. He was going to kill the baby.

Kitanoe stood there, trying to come up with a strategy. Yuki's eyes looked evil almost possessed. This was not the same Yuki who had trained her. He was either an Oscar award winning actor, or something was horribly wrong. Yuki waved his hand and a wave of rock and earth came barreling towards her. She flipped into the air and escaped with minor cuts. "Put him down and fight me for real, Yuki."

"Why? So you can save him and forfeit the tournament? I can read your mind, dearest. Leaping off the arena with an infant in hand is not only unwise but it's ridiculous."

Kitanoe glared. She watched as Yuki conjured a cradle from the earth and placed Kyo inside. Kitanoe watched Kyo with protective eyes when a burst of pain shot through her jaw. She split tree's and landed against the mountain side before she fell to the ground. She stood, shaking. Her jaw hurt and blood fell from her mouth and off her chin. She wiped it away with a pissed off expression. Without thinking she charged at him.

* * *

Kaoru appeared next to Yusuke and the others. "Oh God...he actually went through with it! YUKI!" She yelled at the screen, getting quite a few looks. Yusuke grabbed her by the lapels of her Demon King uniform and jerked her forward.

"You mean to tell me this plan was premeditated!"

"I asked him and I begged him not to go through with it, Yusuke Urameshi!" Kaoru pushed Yusuke off of her. "Yuki's plan is much greater then you can imagine. He has no intention of harming your child, at least, that's what he said..." She spoke quietly as she watched Kitanoe get thrown across the arena with a swift kick from Yuki. "He needs her to be S class. He intends to die with this fight, all for the good of every race in existence. He is convinced Kitanoe is the key." She folded her arms.

* * *

Kitanoe lunged at Yuki only for him to grab her arm and throw her into the air. He leaped and punched her so hard she went spiraling down and created a crater when she landed. She held her ribs in agony. She could feel her entire right side rib cage was broken.

"Now to end this." Yuki spoke with venom as he left Kitanoe in the ground and approached Kyo. He conjured a dagger using his hand. The purple and black flames spiraled around his wrist and hand as he rose up and stabbed downward towards the infant.

Yusuke looked away when Kyo began crying. With tears in his eyes he glanced back at the screen only to be relieved. Kitanoe stood in front of Kyo, grasping the shadow dagger in her bloodied hands.

"Are...you mad?" Kitanoe painfully spoke sarcastically.

Yuki shrugged. "Only slightly."

His arrogance sent Kitanoe into a frenzy. She used both hands to fold his wrists in the direction they most resisted. She heard the satisfying sound of his bones snapping. Some instinctive Demon need over whelmed her as her only thoughts surrounded Kyo. A flaming red aura surrounded her, dissipating his shadow dagger. With a primal roar she forced her aura outwards and watched in slow motion as the tree's caught fire, the rivers evaporated, the mountains rocks were on the verge of melting; but her eyes were on Yuki's body. She watched his glorious hair catch fire first and burn down to his scalp. She watched as the burns covered and blistered his body. Blood soon covered his melting flesh as he screamed in agony. Kitanoe watched until she saw his bones disintegrate. She looked behind her at Kyo who was still crying, but was protected behind Kitanoe, almost in a shield.

The arena around them was blazing and falling apart. She felt empty as she picked up the baby. Kitanoe sighed as she walked through the fire with Kyo; a barrier protected them the entire way. She finally found the designated place to return to the common grounds and she stepped through the transporter. She was back at the tent she started off in and watched as Yusuke and the others ran towards her.

She set Kyo down on the ground and collapsed next to him. Her body was beaten and broken. She had managed to conjure a fire hot enough to turn coal into diamond, sand into glass and temperatures hotter. She watched a dear friend melt in front of her eyes because he went psycho over a half demon baby. She heard her name being called. She watched as Keiko and Yusuke cradled Kyo in relief. Her vision went to black and the pain claimed her consciousness.

* * *

Kitanoe shot out of bed, covered in sweat. Her quick movement sent sharp agonizing pain in her right side as she remembered her broken ribs and fell from the medical bed. She howled in pain and Demon nurses ran to her and injected her with several needles. She struggled before falling asleep once more.

* * *

"Why isn't she waking up!?"

_That's Hiei's voice _Kitanoe thought. She tried to talk but her mouth couldn't open. She also had the sensation she couldn't move.

"She is in a medically induced coma." The nurse answered. "We aren't certain she can control her new power. We are taking precaution."

_What a bitch-wait, new power? Oh yeah that inferno I caused..._

"Wake her up before I turn you all into cinders." There was a cloth sound and a few panicked gasps.

"Sir! I am going to have to ask you to leave!" One of the nurses spoke bravely. "You can't scare us with that Dragon!"

"I beg to differ." He spoke. Kitanoe could sense his energy.

_Whoa whoa whoa! _Kitanoe screamed in her head. Are y_ou trying to kill me too!? _

"I'll do it! Just don't kill us!" A younger sounding nurse yelped. Kitanoe heard the sound of Velcro as her arms and feet and tender torso suddenly didn't feel so heavy anymore.

_They tied me down? Really? _Kitanoe would have glared if she could. She felt several IV needles being yanked and removed from her arms.

"She'll wake up in a matter of minutes." There was a scuffling and the sound of a door being closed.

She could sense Hiei very close to her. She could suddenly open her eyes, but she also felt pain again. She stared into Hiei's crimson eyes as she had a terrible time of breathing. Hiei sensed her discomfort and didn't hesitate when he placed his hands on her blackened rib cage.

She almost forgot he could heal as well. That was a secret she had kept all this time.

Hiei's hands were glowing and ice blue color and stayed that way for almost 20 minutes. The pain was dispersing but she could feel her ribs were still broken. "I'll get Yukina." He spoke, however, he didn't move. "I was the victor for Arena 5. My energy is depleted."

Kitanoe just stared. "Arena...5? How long have I been out?"

"It doesn't matter. Your injuries are too extensive, you've been disqualified."

"Well who is in the semi finals?"

"Kurama and Jin were head to head but the match ended in a draw. They're both healing now. Yusuke won round 3. It was almost an instant win. Enki won arena 4, and there's a Demon from arena 6 no one knows." He was staring at her.

Kitanoe looked away and sighed. "Do I look that bad? What happened after I passed out?"

Hiei sighed and looked away as well. "If death had an image, you'd be it."

Kitanoe had no idea why her feelings were hurt over the observation. Did she expect for him to say she looked like roses and candy? "Is the baby-"

"Kyo is fine, all thanks to you. I didn't tell Yusuke or your commander, but Yuki's mind was full of darkness. He was struggling with himself and he had every intention to kill Kyo. He somehow thinks you being an S class Demon and rescuing a half breed would bring some sort of peace amongst the races."

Kitanoe laid her head back on the pillow. Everything hurt and it was getting more difficult to breathe. "When do the semi-finals start?"

"Tomorrow." His answers were getting short.

"Sorry we won't get our chance to fight." Kitanoe finally said after some time passed. Suddenly Hiei's hands were on either side of her face, making her look at him. There was something about his eyes.

"You have proven yourself in more ways than I can count. The fact that you're alive after causing an inferno brings me more relief than I care to admit."

His words grabbed at her heart. "Hiei...I don't understand...I thought you hated me..."

"I stalked you. Relentlessly. I couldn't keep myself away from you. I thought I was doing you a favor when I pushed you away."

Kitanoe frowned, too weak to glare. "You're a jerk. I cared for you, deeply-"

"Do you still?"

"What?" Kitano stopped breathing.

"Do you still love me?" Hiei spoke each word carefully and slowly. There was a fire in his eyes, and his voice was strong.

Kitanoe almost couldn't speak. What the hell was she supposed to do!? First he loves her, then he hates her, and now he wants to reconcile! This was everything she wanted, why was she hesitating?! Kitanoe swallowed hard and looked at him. "Hiei, I...You really hurt me." She tried to look away but he still held her. Suddenly his mouth was gently on hers. His lips were warm, and surprisingly soft. Her whole body lit up for him. She had missed him so much after he had hurt her, and here she was kissing him. He pulled away slowly.

"Do you still love me?" He asked again.

Kitanoe nodded. "Yes, though you don't deserve it."

"Agreed." He ran his bandaged hand through her hair.

Kitanoe's left side erupted with pain. She jack knifed off the bed and fell onto the hard tile. Hiei was there in 2 seconds and lifted her in his arms. She knew he would take her to Yukina. His running speed made breathing difficult and she couldn't catch her breath. Once he stopped she was gasping for air. She could hear Yukina and with a curse, Kitanoe blacked out once more.


	16. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, its characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 15**

Kitanoe could feel her head spinning and felt herself wake up several times, and each time she was in a new place. First it was the temple, and then it was Genkai's. Another time was a cave, followed by her small apartment in Spirit World. The hallucinations were exhausting while she inhaled deeply, the aching in her ribs finally making itself known. She could also smell fresh coffee. She opened her eyes a final time and it registered in her mind that she was not in a place she recognized. She knew for certain she was in a hotel room, but who the room actually belonged to was the real question. Kitanoe sensed she was alone and stayed on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Her mind raced over the events that transpired, and had no idea how long she'd even been unconscious. Questions and curiosity raised her off the bed and she nearly stumbled onto the floor. Her hands were bright pink, as if they were healing from a burn. Kitanoe's ribs were tender to the touch, but she considered they were no longer broken if she was able to breathe alright. She also noticed she wasn't in her clothes anymore. She was wearing a baggy black shirt and loose white shorts. She took a quick inhale of the scent and realized they were Keiko's clothes.

Her slow heart stopped and her breath caught in her throat.

Had she saved Kyo? Where was he? Where were the others? How far along was the tournament? Questions flooded her mind and panic began to set in. She rushed to the door and threw it open and was overwhelmed by the silence. There were 2 couches, a table, a small apartment like kitchen, and several other doors she assumed lead to more bedrooms. She knocked on each door and opened them in a panic only to find them all empty. She collapsed on her knees and held her head in her hands, trying to make sense of it all. She suddenly remembered her conversation with Hiei:

"_When do the semi-finals start?"_

"_Tomorrow_."

Kitanoe was on her feet in an instant and she ran back to the room she was sleeping in. She rummaged through the dresser and managed to find blue jeans that fit her and found a sports bra. She slipped the baggy shirt back on and raced out of the hotel suite. She recognized the hall way instantly and flew to the elevator right before it closed. She beat on the button and looked to the people staring behind her; all were Demons.

"Listen, I've been unconscious for awhile, what's happening with the tournament!?" Her voice was demanding but not cruel. At that moment the elevator door opened prematurely and Kitanoe was struck with relief. "Lord Koenma! George!"

"You're stubbornness never ceases to amaze me." The teenage prodigy of Spirit World stepped into the elevator, followed by the humble blue ogre. Koenma calmly hit the button labeled 1. "I thought you'd be out for awhile."

"Yeah well hallucinations got the best of me. What's happening? How's-"

"Kyo is fine, thanks to you. Yusuke sent him home with Keiko and for once she agreed and didn't argue with him. Of course that tends to happen when a deranged Shadow kidnaps your child and threatens to kill him for the good of all species."

"What about the semi-finals? What's happening?" The elevator opened on the bottom floor and Kitanoe followed Koenma and George with haste.

"I'm not sure how much you've been told, but Enki won his match against Nihal, the winner of Arena 6. Yusuke and Hiei are about to start their fight in a few minutes."

"Yusuke and Hiei!?" Kitanoe stammered. "They'll kill each other!"

"I'll be honest with you, Kitanoe; those two have a history that I can't begin to explain. They enjoy fighting each other and the thrill of the next rematch keeps them motivated. They might pummel each other into bloody unrecognizable piles of flesh and bone, but I don't think they'd ever kill each other." Koenma's voice was calm.

Kitanoe stared at him in disbelief but her shoulders slowly relaxed. "They…enjoy beating the hell out of each other?"

"They're masochistic, aren't they?" George entered the conversation. "How are you feeling, Kitanoe?"

"I feel sore and now that I am not in a state of panic I am exhausted. So, everyone is really okay? No one is dead or dying? Yusuke's baby is safe?" Kitanoe looked to the two for reassurance.

"Kyo is safe and in Human World with Keiko. Kuwabara and Shizuru went with them to keep them company; Kuwabara more for protection. Kurama is healing nicely, Jin created a new technique and it shredded them both. Apparently he hasn't mastered it yet and was desperate to beat Kurama. Yukina and Botan are still here, they're probably sitting with Kurama watching Yusuke and Hiei fight."

"Hey, wait a minute, where's Kaoru?" Kitanoe suddenly realized she had yet to see her commander.

"She is under investigation for treason and was asked to return to Spirit World. She was aware of Yuki's plan and since it was against Yusuke's child it was under my jurisdiction. My father agreed and recalled Kaoru back to Spirit World."

Kitanoe nodded as she followed Koenma and George around the corner and walked through the door that lead them outside. After about half a mile they were at the stadium. Koenma walked with confidence as if he knew where the others were already sitting. She could see Kurama's long red hair sitting next to two blue haired females. Kitanoe pushed passed Koenma and George and ran over to them. "Kurama! Botan! Yukina! Hey!"

They turned their heads sharply in surprise. She was immediately embraced by Botan and Yukina. Kurama stood behind them with a small smile. Even though he wore long sleeves you could see that his hands were bandaged, as were parts of his neck. "It's good to see you up and standing. The medical staff didn't think your body would be able to handle the after effects of your attack. In all honesty they thought you'd burn to death, much like Yuki."

Kitanoe looked at her bright pink hands. "Well these are the only burns I suffered I think, not unless you healed any I'm not aware of." She smiled at Yukina. Yukina smiled in return.

"No, just broken bones and bruises." Yukina was a sweet soul. Kitanoe's heart ached when she realized how much she had missed her.

"How're you, Kurama? Jin did a number, or so I'm told." Kitanoe looked at the quiet Fox Demon.

"I'm alright. Jin attempted a new technique and in the process it over powered him."

All of the viewing screens were turned on all at once and an obnoxious sing song bell echoed, to announce the start of the match. Kitanoe nearly stumbled as she pushed her way to the front and stared at Hiei on the screen. He was smirking, and so was Yusuke. _Koenma was right…they do love fighting each other. _She thought. Soon Kurama and the others were standing next to her.

"He missed you too." Kurama whispered next to her. Kitanoe couldn't contain her smile.

"It honestly surprises me, considering how we left things."

"Hiei isn't experienced when it comes to positive emotions." Kurama smiled down at her.

"Tell me about it."

A loud buzzer sounded in the distance and Yusuke charged full force at Hiei. He looked so proud and excited. He was in his element. Hiei threw his cloak and unsheathed his katana. He was so powerful in every move he made. The two fighters clashed and the amount of concentration and determination were a site to see. One was a Demon, born Human, was dealt a measure of bad hands in his short life, and yet managed to be one of the most powerful beings in the universe. The other was a Fire Demon, dismissed and abandoned at birth for his gender, the true master of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, was one of the most lethal Demons in Demon World. Both names were feared and respected. Kitanoe watched the match in silence. She was almost jealous that her fight hadn't been this even, or this worthy. A bright blue attack brought Kitanoe's day dreaming to an end as she watched Hiei get pummeled to the ground. He quickly rebounded as the bandages burned off of his arm.

It was enough to startle Kurama. "He's going to use the Dragon on Yusuke!"

Kitanoe looked at Kurama before looking back at the screen. The timer at the top said the match had been going on for 45 minutes and 16 seconds. Even as Hiei was preparing for his attack, Yusuke stood there with a smile.

He waited for the challenge.

"That crazy bastard…" Kitanoe mumbled. She could see Kurama nod from the corner of her eye.

Hiei let loose the Dark Dragon and the entire stadium was clouded and dark. Purple lightning was coming off the Dragon. The beast was truly menacing, and the power was incredible. Yusuke stood his ground as he extended his arm. He smirked before he spoke.

"Get ready, Hiei! Time for my new attack!" Yusuke's entire arm was glowing the bright blue of his Spirit Gun. Just as the Dragon was mere feet away, Yusuke yelled, "Spirit Cannon!" A blast bigger than the Dragon was leaving Yusuke's arm. They both stood their ground trying to outdo the other. Hiei added more power to the Dragon as Yusuke put the last of his energy into the large blast.

There was an explosion where the attacks met in the middle, and the screens blacked out.

"Hey! What the hell!" Kitanoe didn't realize she had been shaking. "Stupid TV, c'mon!" The screen was flashing a standby message for 5 painfully long minutes when a "Loading Back up System" message appeared. Another few minutes later the screen was functioning. Kitanoe had to look carefully but both Hiei and Yusuke were standing. They looked spent and wounded.

They were also smirking.

Kurama laughed beside her. "Yusuke has won. Hiei doesn't have the energy left to continue."

"What? How do you know?" Kitanoe stared at Kurama.

"Hiei doesn't stay awake long once he uses the Dragon. And he told me." He tapped the side of his head.

Kitanoe nodded as she watched Hiei collapse into a deep sleep. Yusuke limped his way over to her lover and lifted him over his shoulder. The announcer on the loud speaker announced Yusuke Urameshi and Enki as the remaining finalists and that the final round would continue the day after tomorrow. The TV's turned off and Kurama placed a hand on Kitanoe's shoulder. "We should meet them at the medical facility. Hiei will want to know how you're doing."

Kitanoe didn't need to be told twice. She waved good bye to Botan and Yukina and followed Kurama and Koenma to the medical facility. She shuddered, remembering her last visit here. Koenma seemed to know exactly where to go considering he opened the door to Yusuke's room.

"Yusuke, congratulations on your victory." Kurama smiled. Yusuke actually grinned and flexed a muscle.

"You didn't tell me you learned a new technique." Koenma mused.

"Yeah well I figured I'd keep it to myself for awhile before I finally showed it off." Yusuke grinned. His eyes scanned the room and they finally rested on Kitanoe. "Hey you're awake!" He kicked his feet off the bed and walked over to her. He immediately embraced her in a heartfelt hug. "About Kyo…"

Kitanoe hugged him back. "I am so sorry your son got wrapped up in Yuki's psycho drama! Yusuke, I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, you saved him!" Yusuke looked down at her, clearly astonished by her unnecessary apology. "Sure, Yuki was psycho but that wasn't on you."

"Is he alright?" Kitanoe had asked for the hundredth time.

"A little sun burnt, but he is alive. Keiko agreed to go back to Human World and Kuwabara went with her for me, just in case."

Kitanoe sighed in relief. "That's great news."

"Hiei is in the room next door." Yusuke used his thumb to point to the left. "Figured you'd want to say hey."

Kitanoe hugged Yusuke again before leaving the room in a hurry. She hesitated to knock on the red door with the numbers 885 across the top. A chart with Hiei's name was in a plastic shelf on the door. She knocked and was greeted by a Demon Nurse. She looked like a giant lizard; her skin was green, eyes were yellow and her pupils slanted. A long green tail flowed from under the skirt she wore for a uniform.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was nearly a screech.

"Yes. I want to see Hiei."

"Who are you?" The Lizard Lady nearly screeched her head off.

"I'm Kitanoe, and not that it's any of your business, I happen to be his lover." Kitanoe crossed her arms.

The Lizard Lady looked Kitanoe up and down, clearly unimpressed. She stepped aside and let Kitanoe inside. She left the two in the room alone and shut the door behind her. Kitanoe raced to Hiei's side and looked him over. He had plenty of cuts and bruises but he didn't appear to be dying. "Hiei?" She spoke softly.

Red eyes opened immediately and stared into her blue ones, as if he was looking into her very soul. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, clearly still exhausted.

"Hiei, go back to sleep, I just wanted you to know I was okay and that I'm glad you're okay-"

"Lie with me." He spoke. It was a demand, and not a request. He laid back down and moved over to give her room.

Kitanoe hesitated for a moment before she slid in the bed next to him. They fumbled for a few minutes to get adjusted on the small bed and finally settled on spooning. With her back to his chest, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her as close as she could possibly get. Hiei nuzzled her hair and inhaled deeply, drawing comfort from his female. His deep relaxed breathing informed Kitanoe he was already asleep again. Taking the opportunity, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep as well.

Hours later, Kitanoe woke up in the hotel room. The windows were dark from the night sky. She rubbed her eyes and stretched, wincing slightly from her recovering injuries. She wondered if she had dreamt all of that until Hiei opened the door. He looked so normal! He was shirtless and wearing loose flannel pajama pants. His hair was damp from a recent shower and he smelled heavenly, like pine trees and fresh rain. "I sensed you were awake." He spoke as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Kitanoe crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. His lips were soft and warm. She pulled away with a small blush and sat beside me. "How're you feeling?" She finally asked.

Hiei glanced down at her and looked away again. "How are you feeling is more the question." He stated.

Kitanoe sighed. "Tired." She moved from her spot on the bed and laid back down on the pillow. If he was going to be distant, then so would she.

Hiei stared at her for a few minutes before he laid down next to her. Kitanoe was almost mad he was even still in the room, but she sighed figuring "Actions are louder than words", and Kurama did say Hiei had trouble expressing emotions. Hiei would always be a physical person more so than verbal. Kitanoe rolled over and looked at him. "Just once…I wish you'd talk to me. Actually TALK to me. Not just a, Hey how are you, and beautiful weather we're having conversation. I want to KNOW you."

Hiei ran a hand through her hair and remained quiet for some time. "We'll have time for that later." He finally spoke.

"Hiei, I want to talk now-"

"Later." He repeated and kissed her forehead. He ran a hand through her hair until she was fast asleep once more.

Her deep rhythmic breathing told Hiei she was out like a light. He removed himself from the bed without waking her and entered back into the living room. Kurama had to explain what the hell a living room was at some point a few years ago. He still didn't understand considering a person lived in every room not just this specific one. It was late and most everyone was already asleep. Yusuke and Kurama were awake and talking about the Finals. If Yusuke won and was renamed Demon King, Enki would take over Tourin for him. However that meant he would be separated from Keiko and Kyo for long periods of time, for their safety.

Hiei sat next to Kurama and folded his arms over his chest. He listened to them babble about the politics of the situation when Yusuke waved a hand in front of Hiei. "Hello? Demon Plain to Hiei? Can you hear me?"

Hiei glared. "I can hear you just fine."

Yusuke ignored Hiei's temper, completely used to it. "How is Kitty?"

"Her energy is entirely depleted. She will need a few days to recover her energy, otherwise she is fine." Hiei answered.

"And how are you AND Kitty?" Kurama sipped his tea, trying to be sly with his statement. Yusuke grinned from ear to ear, clearly in on the joke.

Hiei continued to glare. "Don't make me kill you."

"I never thought I'd see Hiei with a girlfriend before you, Kurama." Yusuke continued with a grin.

"Actually, Yusuke, Demon's have mates. " Kurama put his tea down. "They claim them in several ways."

"How?" Yusuke was now interested.

"Sex is one of the three. The bonding scent is two of the three; it's when the male secrets a pheromone that is intoxicating and stains the female's skin with his scent. It's to inform other Demons that the female has been claimed. The third is the bite mark on the neck. It remains there for the rest of her life, and the male can have multiple mates, as long as he doesn't also have the bite mark. A male with a bite mark is a mated male for life. "

"Do either of you have a point to this conversation?" Hiei cut in. He was annoyed and about to walk away from the chit chat entirely.

"We're only talking." Kurama smiled innocently down at Hiei. Hiei stood and walked back into the room where Kitanoe slept.

He closed the door and stared at her sleeping form. The only light in the room was from the full moon. Demon's are usually in heat during the full moon, but the competitors of the tournament were given a special sedative to reduce the urges. No one wanted a Demon orgy.

Kitanoe had kicked the blankets off of her and was asleep on her side. Hiei traced the outline of her legs with his eyes. He memorized every curve of her. Her room was covered in her scent. She looked so peaceful and beautiful. Hiei had been reading her mind off and on all day, wanting to see what she had experienced and lived for the past year. Her mind was always thinking about him then and even now as she slept.

Hiei's mind raced back to when he had first met her. She was a drug addict, and she still craved it and thought about it frequently. She would have done anything to get a fix. Now she was here with him. She was an S class warrior. She didn't need his protection. She didn't even need him to keep away her night mares anymore, as she had found a way to cope with them.

All he could offer her was the pleasure of his company in bed. What good could he do her as a mate?

_**A/N: Please Review! Thank you everyone who is followed and favorited my story! Reviews are nice too, sometimes! Let me know what you think!**_


	17. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, its characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers._

**Chapter 16 **

A loud clash of weapons caused birds to scatter in the distance.

Kitanoe smirked at Hiei. They were both drenched in sweat and trying to ease the boredom that set in at 7 that morning, and Hiei refused to sit in on another card game. Kitanoe panted heavily as she removed herself with a back flip. She was using a real sword instead of her ice one, for whatever reason she had yet to recover her energy. Hiei charged at her again and they disappeared, their movements almost too difficult to follow. Training had been Kitanoe's idea, and it had been coincidence that Hiei's energy was also depleted from using the Dragon against Yusuke the day before.

They landed on the ground once more, and judging by the position of the sun it was around noon. They had been training for about 5 hours nonstop. "You've gotten stronger." Hiei approached her.

"I didn't have a choice." Kitanoe caught her breath. "Kaoru found out about the tournament and between her and Yuki they about killed me on a weekly basis."

"I can't imagine its any easier working for King Enma then Koenma." Hiei sat down on the ground in front of her. Kitanoe sat down with him, thankful for the small break.

"To be honest King Enma had me do 3 missions the entire year. He really has no use for me, but he told me once he needed me because Yusuke and Koenma have a bond that he couldn't trust, therefore he needed me to do the missions he couldn't trust those two with." Kitanoe had to rethink what she said, as it didn't make sense to her as she spoke it, but Hiei didn't question her.

"Why didn't you meet me before your match with Yuki?" Hiei questioned randomly.

"Yuki and Kaoru had me convinced to keep myself hidden, and to stay away. Yuki told me he could read your mind and that all you could think about was harming me. Was that even true?" She hated to ask him that but she needed to know.

Hiei glared. "If that Shadow was still alive I would rip his lying tongue out."

Kitanoe had to smile. "Always good to know. What did you do for an entire year?"

"Trained and lived in Demon World. Koenma would need us for ridiculous things. How did you kill Yuki?" His red eyes stared at her and made her nervous.

"I…I can't remember. I remember being angry…" Kitanoe thought deeply for a minute and an image of Yuki's flesh melting off his bones entered her mind. She shivered. "Yeah, I remember melting him, but I don't know how. I blacked out. My hands were burned when I woke up."

"I don't think you realize how much energy you used. It almost rivaled Sacred Energy." Hiei stood up, ready to go again.

Kitanoe stood as well and the sound of swords echoed again. She was surprised when Hiei continued the conversation through telepathy.

_Do you love me?_

_Yes, Hiei. I do. _She paused. _Do you love me? _There was a long silence from Hiei before he answered her.

_If I said yes, would you become my mate?_

Kitanoe was so shocked by the question that she barely dodged Hiei's next attack. His sword hit hers in such a way that it recoiled and knocked her into the nearby stream. She stood up as Hiei ran to the water's edge. He waded in waist deep to where she was.

Kitanoe was soaked from head to toe and she stared at him with wide confused eyes. "What did you just ask me?"

Hiei sheathed his sword and grabbed hers as well, sheathing it and attaching it to his waist. He folded his arms over his bare chest. "You know what I asked you."

"Hiei, now is not the time to be crude and sarcastic!" Kitanoe snapped. She took a deep breath to calm down. "Do you love me?"

Hiei stared into her eyes, unblinking. Kitanoe had to imagine this was hard for him. Finally he spoke. "I want to be your mate and protect you. I want to have you all to myself. The thought that you might eventually take to another and share their bed infuriates me. You're no weakling and your strength is one hell of a turn on. I want you in MY bed every night and by my side in the day. If that's what you call love then, yes. I…love you, Kitty." That last sentence was hard for Hiei to spit out.

Kitanoe stood there in shock. Hiei was really serious about this. She slowly nodded. "I love you too…Yes; I will be your mate."

Hiei picked her up bridal style and walked back onto dry land. He refused to put her down as he jumped from tree to tree until they got a good distance away from the tournament surroundings. Hiei landed in a clearing, far way from anyone or anything.

Kitanoe had only heard of matings. Thankfully she never had to see one, but she's also never met a mated Demon before. They were supposed to be painful, but pleasurable. She turned to look at Hiei and he was standing in front of her. She would be a liar to say she wasn't nervous. Hiei gently turned her around and began putting her hair up. He was swift and gentle.

After her hair was out of the way, Hiei looked at her in all seriousness. "I need you to trust me."

Kitanoe nodded and swallowed hard. He swiftly undressed her before undressing himself and brought her close to him. Their naked bodies touched and there was an instant heat between them. Hiei licked her neck and she shivered as she tilted her head. "Final chance." Hiei was giving her the option to back out.

Kitanoe wanted to be bold, and unafraid. "Shut up and mark me."

Searing pain registered in her neck as Hiei bit down into her flesh. His teeth were sharp and felt like fangs. The male during the mating has to drink a portion of the female's blood. It helps them to sense where the female is at all times, and to feel the emotions that their mate feels.

Her blood tasted so good, that Hiei was having difficulty pulling away and he bit harder. Kitanoe yelped but didn't make a move to escape, she only held onto Hiei tighter.

Hiei reluctantly pulled away and licked the angry and bruised wound on her neck. "Lay down." He commanded. Kitanoe laid down on the soft grass without question. Hiei's lips were red from her blood and his eyes were wild with lust. He knelt down and spread her legs far apart. He had to bite both of her inner thighs right next to her core and wasn't sure she was aware. His hands traced both spots on her legs, the scent of her arousal driving him mad. "I have to bite you here….and here…" He looked at her. She nodded and he wasted no time. These bites would hurt far worse than the one on her neck.

Hiei sank his teeth into her inner left thigh first. Kitanoe cried out and actually struggled against him. He over powered her and held her down. It was too late for regrets. He drank more of her blood until he was satisfied and pulled away. The second mark was much darker in bruising then the first. "Last one." Hiei promised.

He bit her inner right thigh and she cried out again, actual tears pouring from her eyes. It was no wonder Hiei brought her out all this way. He probably didn't want anyone to think he was killing her. Hiei was intoxicated by her blood and tried to pull away but his teeth sank in deeper. He could feel himself losing control and yanked his teeth free of her leg. Kitanoe screamed out in pain as tears coated her cheeks.

Hiei licked his lips before he licked over the bite wounds, making sure they were clean. He crawled on top of his mate and kissed her softly. She kissed him back and was happy to have his teeth out of her. His hands brushed the tears off her face and he pulled away. "Almost done, Mate." Hiei kissed her again.

Kitanoe knew sex was the last part when it came to mating. It's where the male would mark the female with his scent. Hiei positioned himself at her entrance and propped himself up on his forearms. Kitanoe nodded, giving him the go ahead and he was able to slide inside of her perfectly. They both moaned at the same time. "Fuck, I forgot how tight you were." Hiei panted as he pulled back and thrust himself back in. Kitanoe moaned as he gradually sped up, enjoying the delicious friction between them. Kitanoe could smell Hiei's mating scent and it was heavenly. He smelled like pine trees and cedar, freshly mown grass and rain all into one. The mating scent wasn't something a male could fake, you either emitted it because your brain and your body loved the female, or you didn't secrete the scent.

Hiei kissed her with more force then he intended to use and probably bruised her mouth. She didn't seem to care since she was still moaning. Finally her body went rigid as she came forcefully. Her screams were pleasure that went straight down his spine and into his pride as he came in hot jets inside of her. Hiei panted heavily and stayed inside of her for a moment, licking her neck when his mate bite was.

Kitanoe was spent. She was drained of blood and due to all of the training followed by the incredible sex she was also drained of energy. She felt light headed when Hiei pulled out of her. He laid down beside her and ran a hand through her hair. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"Rest now." Hiei's voice rang in her ears.

"Okay…" She closed her eyes. "Love…you."

Hiei kissed her lips softly and watched her fall asleep.

* * *

When Kitanoe woke up it was night fall. She was fully dressed and she was lying next to a fire. She sat up and winced, jerking her thighs apart. She was sore everywhere, and for good reason.

She was mated to Hiei.

She looked around for him and didn't see him. He had left one of the two swords next to her. She picked it up and was careful when she stood up. She was still light headed from the blood loss which wouldn't do her any good if she had to fight off somebody. Just as she was about to start walking, Hiei jumped down from one of the tree's.

"I sensed you were awake." He stated simply.

Kitanoe sighed in relief. "Thank God for that…" She sat against a tree.

"We should head back to the hotel so you can eat." Hiei waved his hand in front of the fire and just like that it was out.

Kitanoe nodded and nearly stumbled when she stood up. "I don't think I'm going to be able to run back…"

Hiei approached her and kissed her forehead. He picked her up swiftly without complaint and ran back to the hotel miles away.

* * *

Hiei was careful to enter through the bedroom window. He laid Kitanoe down on the soft bed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Yusuke was pacing the floor in the living room and Kurama was trying to calm him down.

"Yusuke you'll do fine. You and Enki are more evenly matched then you were a few years ago." Kurama reasoned.

"Okay but what if I win? Where does that leave Keiko and Kyo?" Yusuke asked and glanced over to see Hiei. "Oh hey, Hiei. Haven't seen you around all day."

"Hn." Hiei really didn't know what to say. He looked at Kurama. _I need food for Kitanoe. _

_Is everything alright? Why are you speaking with me telepathically?_

_She hasn't eaten all day and she's lost a lot of blood. _

Kurama's eyes grew wide and Yusuke was entirely confused. "You _mated _with her." Kurama spoke. It was not a question.

Yusuke looked between Hiei and Kurama. "Hey! You mind filling me in here?!"

"The details aren't important. Are you going to assist me or not?" Hiei glared.

"Yusuke, order room service. The same thing you had earlier, please. It was nearly a feast." Kurama stood and headed over to the tiny kitchen. Yusuke shrugged and grabbed the phone and started talking. Kurama sliced some fruit and handed the plate to Hiei. "This should do for now. Once the room service gets here she'll have something more substantial to eat. This will take her energy much longer to heal now, Hiei. She wasn't ready-"

"Mind your own business Kurama. I didn't force her to do anything she didn't want." Hiei snapped. He walked back into the bedroom and slammed the door.

"What was that all about?" Yusuke asked once he hung up the phone. Kurama stayed silent as he stared at the door. They were all about to learn something very quickly.

A mated male was a dangerous thing.


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, its characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers.**

**Chapter 17**

Kitanoe woke up the next morning in a haze. Dizziness set in the minute she lifted her head, her vision even blurred. She slowly eased back onto the bed and laid her head on the fluffy pillow. Her neck and thighs were screaming from pain.

She stopped breathing.

Her hands shakily touched the angry wound on her neck and she winced away from the contact. She hadn't dreamed that after all; she had agreed to become Hiei's mate. She was still suffering from blood loss if she was that dizzy. Kitanoe didn't understand considering how much Hiei had made her eat last night, not to mention all of the sleep. She should be just about recovered by now. She closed her eyes and sat up slowly. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she opened her eyes. The dizziness was back with a vengeance and she growled at herself in anger. Kitanoe slowly eased onto the floor and crawled her way to the bathroom. After some fumbling around she managed to turn the water on to the bath, brush her teeth, and take care of business before she undressed and grabbed the edges of the bath tub. She flopped into the bath water and sloshed it every where.

"So much for grace..." She mumbled. The hot water eased her pain dramatically even though her thighs were burning and stinging. She inspected her thighs gently and was mortified. There were deep purple bite marks rising off of her skin. The area around the purple contusions were bright red. She assumed her neck looked the same. She washed her hair lazily and lathered a wash cloth to clean the wounds with. She braced for pain just as the bathroom door was thrown open.

She was relieved to see it was Hiei.

"They're not healing...I had to crawl in here..." She explained. His suddenly pissed off and concerned expression turned into one of relief and understanding.

"I didn't let you heal long enough from your fight with Yuki. Kurama said you would need a substantial amount of more time to heal now." Hiei removed his shirt as he approached her. Kitanoe admired his toned and muscular body. She blushed and glanced away. He knelt down next to the tub and grabbed the wash cloth from her hands. Kitanoe knew that he wanted to be the one to wash her wounds, considering he had caused them. She timidly opened her thighs and exposed the bite marks. She braced herself once again for pain but only felt a gentle rubbing. She opened her eyes and saw Hiei's hands were glowing a light blue.

"Are you trying to heal me?" Kitanoe asked quietly.

"My abilities aren't that developed. This is just so I can get you clean and back into bed without incident." His voice was stern.

Kitanoe shook her head. "I'm sick of being in bed. I want to go watch Yusuke and Enki." Hiei immediately glared at her in response. Kitanoe remained firm. "You can carry me for all I care, but I'm not staying in that room all day. I will crawl outside if I have to."

Hiei glared into the slowly turning red bath water. Her bite wounds had been covered with dried blood and once he was confident she was cleansed thoroughly he released the bath water and wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bed. He left the room without another word. Kitanoe was almost mad. Was he really pissed off that she didn't want to be bed ridden? She took the towel and gently dried off before wrapping her hair in the soft cotton fabric. Hiei returned with a bag in his hand and stared at her fully exposed body.

He approached her with a smirk and forced a steamy kiss onto her soft lips. A soft moan escaped her when he pulled away. "You need to recover more before I take you again." His voice sent chills down her spine.

Hiei removed bandages and some kind of spray from the bag and began to patch up her inner thighs. Once he finished he sprayed the medication onto her neck but didn't bandage it; he probably wanted people to see it. After he cleaned up the medical mess he pulled some clothes from the bag. She frowned at the contents and Hiei rolled his eyes. "Botan." They spoke at the same time. She was grateful for the new and clean clothes and she needed to remember to thank Botan, but they were pink; bright pastel pink.

Kitanoe shimmied into the new sports bra and panties before tackling the pink sweat pants that tied at the knees and thankfully the shirt was plain white, and she was too cold not to wear the matching pink hoodie. "Can we go now?" She looked at her mate. He was about to protest but she cut him off. "I will crawl, Hiei. CRAWL."

Hiei cursed under his breath as he lifted her into his arms. "You're so god damned stubborn."

"Try training in the Kings Army for a year and see where that gets you. Now let's go! How much have we missed?"

"It's probably almost over."

"WHAT!?"

"Yusuke and Enki agreed not to hold back."

"Okay, so what? You're not making any sense!" Kitanoe was frustrated. She was suddenly aware that Hiei was standing in the hotel window and not the elevator. She wrapped her arms around him tightly just as he jumped. Kitanoe screamed even though Hiei landed several stories down on a tree limb and made his way to the stadium. She was shaking by the time they got there. Kurama and Koenma were headed their way and looked at Kitanoe in surprise.

"Hiei, she shouldn't be out of bed." Kurama looked between the two.

"I-I made him bring me..." Kitanoe was shivering and she couldn't stop it.

Koenma arched an eye brow, clearly out of the loop. "Well the match is over. To be honest I think Yusuke threw the match to Enki so he could stay in Human world with Keiko and Kyo. Enki is still the King."

Kitanoe sighed in defeat. "Damn, I wanted to watch it."

Koenma glanced back at Kitanoe. "Kitanoe I have requested that you stay in Human world with Yusuke and the others. My father agreed and will summon you when were needed. I can't wait to get out of here that's for sure..." Koenma mumbled as he walked away.

Kurama approached Hiei and Kitanoe and looked down at her shaking form. "She should eat again. Hiei? She would probably heal much faster if she could drink some of your blood."

Hiei glared at Kurama until Kitanoe spoke up. "Why would I need his blood? I'm not a vampire you know..."

"Yes, that's true." Kurama started. "But Hiei has taken a great deal more of your blood then necessary, and his blood is much stronger then yours. If you were to drink his blood you would regain your strength much faster. However it is very rare that a female gets to partake in her mates blood, let alone succeed in biting him."

Kitanoe frowned and shook her head. "Let's just go back to the hotel so we can pack and go the hell home. I have to go to my room, the one I shared with Kaoru and Yuki." She wriggled out of Hiei's arms and stumbled as she headed back towards the hotel. It wasn't hard for Hiei and Kurama to catch up to her and walk beside her. She knew Hiei and Kurama were speaking with each other telepathically because they were silent, and every so often their eyes would dart to stare at one another.

In the hotel elevator Kitanoe was grateful for the break, her legs felt like jello and she needed to catch her breath. She stopped the elevator on the floor she was first assigned with Yuki and Kaoru and was glad when Kurama and Hiei followed, seeing as she wasn't too confident she wouldn't pass out. They entered the room with relative ease and it was clean and spotless inside.

Yuki's room was covered with his clothes and DVD's of modern Human Pop Culture. There was a TV Guide, wine glasses, and several empty wine bottles every where. Kitanoe glared at the familiar sight and scent and had half a mind to incinerate it all. Kurama yanked her back and Hiei slammed the door shut. Kitanoe stared at the two with confused blue eyes when she noticed her hands felt hot. Very hot. She looked down at them and her eyes widened. Hiei grabbed her flaming hands and wrists and was able to channel her energy into smoldering the fire and putting out the heated essence.

"I...I don't have any energy, how did I do that?" Kitanoe looked at them for answers. Her anger in Yuki awakened something inside of her.

"I'm not sure. We can't sense your energy either. You shouldn't be able to conjure any sort of fire." Kurama set her down once he was sure she wasn't going to set the building on fire.

"Let's get this over with." Hiei spoke. Kitanoe nodded and ran to Kaoru's room. It was clean of all belongings thankfully. Kitanoe went to her room and grabbed her back pack and shoved it full of her clothes and things. She walked over to the dresser to get her swords and noticed an envelope addressed to her propped against them. She ignored it and shoved it into her bag. Kurama took the bag for her and Hiei took the swords, strapping them across his back.

"Okay, I think I'm done here." Kitanoe looked around once more.

It didn't take long at all for Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei to pack. Kitanoe slept for most of the way back home and they arrived to the temple late that evening. A lot had changed in a year. The temple was completely remodeled and modern. It also looked like Kurama had a fairly large green house next to the temple. It was also surrounded by a rather adorable white picket fence. Yukina and Botan planned a big welcome home party with a feast of sorts, with banners and streamers and balloons.

It was 3 in the morning when Kitanoe was finally able to go to bed. Everyone wanted to catch up, and she obliged happily. It was great to finally be somewhere she had friends and felt welcome. She wondered if Hiei wanted to share a room now that they were mated. No one else knew besides Yusuke and Kurama, and she also wondered if that had been for her safety or he just didn't want to announce it yet.

She stared at her hands once more as she laid down on her soft new bed. She attempted to use her spirit energy to summon the fire but nothing came. She closed her eyes instead and thought back to Yuki, her hands were instantly warm. She opened her eyes, scared she would set the temple on fire, but instead was in awe by beauty. The fire swirled around her in red and orange ribbon. There wasn't a burn, just a soft heat. She stood up as the fire continued to dance around her. Her bedroom was no longer in her vision, just pure fire.

She smiled until the fire slowly died down. She wasn't in her room any more. She was in a dark stone dungeon.

Surrounded by powerful Dragons.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit short, I wanted to post something though. It's about to get crazy! Please review! **


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu hakusho, its characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers.**

**Chapter 18**

Kitanoe fell backwards and couldn't catch herself. She landed unceremoniously on her ass as she stared at the 5 Dragons before her. Their power combined in one room was too much and it overwhelmed her. Sweat beaded her forehead as she stared at them in fear. One Dragon however, caught her attention. It was a black dragon with red eyes and a flaming purple mane that surrounded its head and trailed down his spine and became it's tail.

Hiei's Dragon. The Dragon of the Darkness Flame.

Kitanoe couldn't even mumble anything intelligent. "Son of a bitch! I'm going to die here!" She blurted out as she scooted as far back as she could, her back hitting the cold wall of stone.

"Silence mortal!" A light blue and white Dragon yelled. "We have summoned you here for a purpose! I am The Wind Dragon, also known as the Dragon of Storms. Your power is what attracted our attention. What is your name, mortal!" The Dragon bellowed.

"I-I'm Kitanoe."

"Kitanoe, why is it you fear us? We can smell it on you!" The Dragon of Storms roared a laugh.

Kitanoe pointed to the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. "My mate...Hiei...-"

"You're mated the to Master of the Darkness technique?" The Dragon of Storms suddenly sounded impressed. All Kitanoe could do was nod. "We'll make this quick and simple. You already know that Master Hiei controls the Darkness Dragon, it is forever cursed to him until the day that he dies. It was his power through the use of the Jagan eye that enabled us to contact him. However, it was your power alone that summoned us forth."

"What power? How?" Kitanoe felt like she was suffocating. The other three Dragons looked on in silence. One Dragon was green and brown with yellow eyes, another was pure blue, with azure eyes with a mane that looked like rushing water. The last Dragon was bright red, like a hot poker. His eyes were the deepest burgundy and his mane was a mixture of orange and yellow. A fire Dragon.

"It was the inferno I caused..." Kitanoe's realization slapped her straight in the face. "B-But I'm only half fire Demon! I'm half ice Demon too!" She argued.

"Too late, girl. You're stuck with me for eternity." The fire Dragon hissed. "I am the fire Dragon, the Dragon of Hell."

"You will learn to control this Dragon, Kitanoe. We are attracted to power like common Dragons are attracted to gold. We will not be turned away." The Dragon of Storms spoke with malice.

"Get ready girl, we're going to make one hell of a team!" The Hell Dragon hissed as it dissipated into thin air. Kitanoe's arm was moving all on it's on and forced to stay in one place. She struggled against it with all the strength she had. A searing, excruciating burning sensation began to cripple her. Her arm was being encrypted with the Hell Dragon, and just like a tattoo it was permanently staining her arm.

Kitanoe whimpered and struggled but her arm was frozen in place. The pain was too much and she shut her eyes tightly, trying not to scream. She could feel herself slowly slipping and passing out.

"Yes...You can feel your power returning. This alliance now interests you and you want more power." The Dragon laughed.

"Shut...up! You-AH!-Overgrown lizard!" Kitanoe continued to struggle with control over her arm. She clenched her teeth as she stood painfully.

"You can't fight it, girl!" The Hell Dragon roared with laughter.

"Shut-UP!" Kitanoe painfully struggled to pull her arm closer to her. "I'll be damned if I let you intimidate me any further!"

"You haven't a choice-"

"WRONG!" Kitanoe snapped. The Dragon had been correct in saying her power was returning, and she was going to use it. The Dragon was of fire, so she would use her ice. The entire dungeon was enveloped in a cold air as her aura swirled around her and her blazing arm. "I am YOUR Master! Is that not what was said!?" She glared. She smirked when all of the Dragon's were silent. The room began filling with an orange light she thought she recognized as the sun. She balled up her fists and brought both arms to her sides, her eyes were the color of ice. She roared as her energy sky rocketed and the room began shaking. Glacier rock formations began tearing at the dungeon that she soon discovered was a tower.

The tower collapsed in a heap of chaos and ice. Kitanoe had to lift several large stone bricks out of the way before she could removed herself from the rubble. Her arm was covered in blood, and she assumed her head was as well by how much blood she had to blink away from her eyes. She stood weakly and looked around. "Show yourselves!" She demanded of the Dragons.

_They are no longer needed now that we have unified, Master._

Kitanoe glared down at her arm. "What? I'm no longer 'Girl' to you?"

_You have stated your possession of me when you asserted yourself as Master. That was your doing, not mine._

"Just shut up and let me think. Am I even awake? How the Hell am I supposed to get back home to my mate?"

_We are in Demon World. You can make portals can you not?_

Kitanoe blinked. "Oh yeah." She shook her head and placed her hands out in front of her. "Kisera lo daxi mosh xexia!" Within seconds the swirling white heat of the portal appeared.

_What are you waiting for?_ The Dragon pressured.

"Is it even safe for me to return? I don't even know how to control you."

"You will learn in due time." She heard her mate's voice. Kitanoe turned around quickly and saw Hiei standing there with his cloak on and hands in his pockets.

"Hiei..." Kitanoe sighed with relief.

"When you weren't in the room I went looking for you." Hiei approached her.

"They say I was summoned here, though I am not sure why they were attracted to my power." Kitanoe held her arm up. The burgundy Dragon her arm was red around the edges and bleeding.

"I can sense you better here then in Human World. Your Demon energy has fully returned." Hiei inspected her arm closely. "It will heal but I will need to teach you how to control it. We'd be safer here. "

"This portal won't last long and it takes a lot of energy to create. " Kitanoe hinted. "We need to go now if we're going." Hiei was silent for some time. They stared at each other in silence until the portal disappeared.

Hiei smirked. "Guess we're staying here."

"I guess so." Kitanoe answered. "Where are we?"

"Near Mukuro's fortress. Come." Hiei disappeared, already running there.

Kitanoe effortlessly followed his movements and ran after him. She was happy her power returned, otherwise following him would have been an impossible task. They easily made it in under ten minutes. Kitanoe stared at the large castle type structure and looked at Hiei. "Are we staying here?"

"Mukuro's servants stayed here even after both Demon world tournaments. Although the power of the Kings was abolished due to Yusuke's quick thinking, most of the loyal Demons stayed by Mukuro, Yomi, and Yusuke's side. Even after Mukuro's death, the servants stay here and faithfully follow whatever commands I give." Hiei stared at the fortress, as if deep in memory.

"Do you miss her?" Kitanoe asked quietly.

Hiei scoffed as he folded his arms. "You sound jealous."

"Hardly." Kitanoe glanced over at him.

"I want you to stay in Demon world with me." Hiei finally said.

Kitanoe was silent for some time. The Hell Dragon began talking telepathically with her again. _I can sense you want to stay, why not do it?_

_Do all of you Dragons talk so much?_ Kitanoe sighed.

_We do._

_Too much is happening at once; Kings Army, the tournament, the betrayal of my comrades, this S class power, mating Hiei, you. Now he wants me to stay in Demon world with him._

_Hiei is more comfortable here. He is free to be a Demon and kill as such. You have become accustomed to the Human world. I can sense in your heart this is what you desire._

_How can you know what my heart desires?_

_I have many powers._

"Kitanoe." Hiei looked over at her, awaiting her answer.

_Tell him yes._

_What if that's not what I want?_

Y_ou can make portals, leave if you must._

"I will stay in Demon world with you Hiei." Kitanoe glanced over at her mysterious mate. He smirked and jumped down as he entered through the front gates. Kitanoe shook her head and followed, jumping down and moving the blood soaked hair out of her eyes. She followed him slowly, taking in her surroundings.

_You will learn to love the Demon world again._ The Dragon hummed in her ear.

_We will see._

**_A/N: Sorry this is a short fill in chapter. I have had a serious writers block like you wouldn't believe, but I am open to suggestions! Review with what you'd like to see happen next!_**


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers. **

**A/N: I apologize for the long delay in posting new chapters. I have had several life changes and have not had the time to write. I swear to make more of an effort now that I feel I have the time to write again. Thanks for your patience and loyalty! It's good to see that after 8 months I still get favorites and reviews!**

**Also, this chapter has a few bomb shells go off. *Smirks***

**Chapter 19**

6 months had passed.

6 long, agonizing, and miserable months in the Demon World. Kitanoe had gained full control over her Hell Dragon. The miserable serpent constantly whispering in her ear, always in her mind, and in her veins. She felt she was being driven mad! Hiei trained with his mate on a daily basis, taking a break every third day. Together they had rebuilt Mukuro's palace and brought it back to functioning order; it was not just an abandoned building the old servants lived in.

It had been Hiei's idea to also have the servants trained in basic fighting martial arts, and basic weapons training. It was as if he was building an army, but Kitanoe knew that to be false. He wanted everyone in the territory to have fighting knowledge, simply because he didn't want unnecessary blood shed.

Kitanoe sighed from her place high in the trees. She had slept there the night before, finding the palace to be suffocating. Hiei was so busy taking the time to rebuild the territory, (that mind you wasn't supposed to be there because the territories had been abolished by Enki), that they barely had any spare time for one another. She stared off into the distance, completely exhausted even after a full nights rest. Today was a break day; no training. Hiei would still be busy of course.

Kitanoe had learned from the Hell Dragon that Kurama was also rebuilding Yomi's territory, but not as thoroughly as Hiei had done with..._theirs_. Was it theirs now? The Hell Dragon didn't like keeping secrets, which was good. He told Kitanoe any vital information he learned from Hiei's Darkness Dragon.

"Hey, Bane." Kitanoe summoned her Dragon through telepathy. She had also chosen a name for him some time ago. She often wondered if Hiei had named his Dragon.

_'Master.' _The dragons deep voice echoed in her ear.

"I need to know if there are any new updates. I plan on infiltrating Kurama's territory today to find out what I can. Hiei still hasn't spoken to me about this...rebuild."

There was a silence on Bane's end for some time before his echoing voice sounded once more. _'I believe Master Hiei and Lord Kurama are simply rebuilding the lands to strengthen Demon World. After so much chaos and destruction the Demon plains have fallen into havoc. What those two Demons have done are extraordinary.'_

Kitanoe was stunned. Hiei didn't seem like the type to just want to 'Save Humanity', or in this case, Demon World. "I thought King Enki had that covered."

_'Enki can only do so much. He created new laws which have brought peace is most ways, but there are Demons out there who still want that chaos and blood shed. They enjoy death, the very smell of it gets them their sadistic satisfaction. It was actually Lord Kurama's idea to start building up the territories, and rebuild spirits. Master Hiei didn't like the idea at first, but the thought of making Demon World stronger is what caught his attention.'_

"Is he trying anything dangerous? He doesn't want to take over Human World does he?" Kitanoe was worried Hiei wanted to build an army for a take over.

_'Not as far as his Dragon knows. Master?'_

"Yes?" Kitanoe sighed.

_'Perhaps you should speak with him.'_

"What? Why?" Kitanoe sat straight up from the tree branch she was lying on. She no longer could sense the Dragon. "Bane? Bane! Damn it I'm not through!"

"Not through with what?" Hiei knelt on the branch. His cloak was missing and his shirt was as blue as ever. Even his eyes looked brighter. Hiei had grown stronger in the passed 6 months and he was also happier. This is where he belonged.

"Eh...Damn Dragon wants to play riddles." Kitanoe sighed. She looked up at her mate. She looked so tired and worn, where as he looked energized and vibrant.

"Yusuke is going to help rebuild Raizen's territory." Hiei spoke. Two things about that statement shocked Kitanoe; 1-Hiei said Yusuke, and not detective. Not that he didn't ever say the guys name, it's just the way he said it. 2-Yusuke wanted to say in Human World with Keiko and Kyo. There wouldn't be a chance in Hell that Yusuke would bring those two here to live. "You didn't come to bed last night." Hiei's voice drew her away from her musings.

"I..." Kitanoe looked into his eyes before looking away, sighing deeply. She was frustrated! "Can't you just read my mind? I don't know how to explain how I feel." Kitanoe laid back against the tree. It was the same position she woke up in.

"I did read your mind. I am aware you have your Dragon spying on me." His voice was calm. Kitanoe instantly froze, having forgotten that bit of information so quickly. "Do you truly hate living here?"

"Yes, but if you're going to give me a hard time about being too accustomed to Human World again, I don't want to hear it. I am just saying it would be nice to go back once in awhile." Kitanoe sat back up. She felt tense, and she knew a fight was brewing between them.

"So why don't you?" Ah there it was; That icy growl.

"Because I want you to come with me. I want you to want to come with me too, not just because I ask you too."

"There isn't any reason for me to go there. We're busy here, focus on that." He folded his arms over his chest, his glare more angry than it had ever been.

"I guess Yukina doesn't matter then." Kitanoe shrugged. She regretted what she said instantly. The surge in his power caught her off guard and she was pinned to the tree by her throat.

"Are you that naive?" His voice seethed. "This is our world. The Human world no longer needs you. Has King Enma even summoned you since the tournament? Your mind tells me he hasn't. Koenma hasn't summoned either of us. That World doesn't need you, this one does." He released Kitanoe and she gasped for air, holding her throat as she glared at him. "Kurama was successful in convincing Yusuke to join us. King Enki has been grateful for the efforts. Why can't you be more enthused about this?"

Kitanoe didn't have a real answer for him. "Once in a while. I didn't say permanently." She rubbed at the soreness of her neck, feeling the raised skin where his 'Mate' mark was. "You obviously only read what you wanted of my mind. Did you completely ignore the fact that I am very pleased with the progress we've made? How relaxing it is to not be in the middle of Enma and Koema's family problems?" She could sense Bane again. She glared inwardly at the Dragon. "Do you have any idea-"

'_You are with child.' _Bane's voice was strained.

Kitanoe paled as she stared at Hiei, who had also gone pale. He had read her mind just as Bane interrupted. There was a silence that seemed to stretch for hours instead of seconds.

"_What_?" Hiei hissed.

"Are you sure? Bane? I am panicking here, don't you leave you stupid Dragon!" Kitanoe nearly shrieked.

_'I am certain. I sensed it yesterday. I needed to make sure. Master Hiei's Dragon can also sense a new life inside of you.'_

"Would you name your Dragon already?!" Kitanoe snapped at Hiei, who was actually startled out of his daze.

He glared as he recomposed himself. "He does have a name. Zorath." He looked quite found of it and smirked. "We need to get you to a Healer. We need to make sure." He focused again as he looked at Kitanoe.

"So let's go to Human world." Kitanoe reasoned. "We could go to Yukina, or even Genkai. Kurama isn't here yet, and I know you trust him. Let's go to Human world. "

Hiei glared but didn't argue.

* * *

"Well this is a surprise!" Yusuke grinned, seeing Hiei and Kitanoe enter the temple. Kitanoe smiled, having gotten her way. Kitanoe saw Yukina and embraced her happily.

"Can we talk privately?" Kitanoe whispered. Yukina nodded with a smile and lead her into one of the bedrooms.

"Damn Hiei, you look like shit." Yusuke laughed as he slapped Hiei on the back. "How's Demon World coming? Heard you and Kurama gave it a make over."

Hiei glared. "Don't take this lightly detective."

"Hiei is sensitive on the matter, don't mind him." Kurama chuckled from the table as he sipped his tea. "Yusuke will be joining us shortly, Hiei. What are you doing?" He asked curiously as he watched Hiei take an entire bottle of Sake out of the pantry.

"Looks like he wants to party!"

"Yusuke, sometimes you truly are an idiot." Kurama shook his head.

Hiei knew where the shot glasses were. He grabbed a handful and sat at the table with Kurama. He counted out 13 and filled each of them with the stout alcohol.

"Hey is Hiei throwing a party?" Kuwabara's voice scratched the air.

"Now I'm definitely drinking." Hiei mumbled as he started taking shot after shot. After 5 shots, Yusuke and Kurama joined him, and after 8 Kuwabara joined in.

* * *

Kitanoe was surrounded by over joyed girlie girls. "So you really think you might be!?" Botan chirped. "Who would have thought! Hiei is going to be a daddy!"

"Here, take this test." Keiko dug into her dresser and handed her a box. "You pee on this part, and this is the part that tells you positive or negative."

Kitanoe frowned at the stick. "Humans are so gross." She mumbled. "I want Yukina to tell me too. I want to be triple sure."

"Triple? But thats only 2 things." Yukina mused.

"Uh...My Dragon, Bane, is how we found out in the first place." Kitanoe blushed.

"Go use the test first! It takes 3 minutes, so while we're waiting for the results Yukina can work her magic. Go go go!" Keiko shooed her into the bathroom and shut the door.

Kitanoe stared at the box and blushed. She fumbled with the packaging and nervously opened both the box and the foil the test was wrapped in. She removed the purple cap and followed the instructions precisely. After she was finished she placed the test on the counter and walked back into the room. This time, Shizuru was there.

"Congrats kiddo!" She had a beer in her hand. "Boys are having some kind of party out there! Hiei is already up to 14 shots!"

Kitanoe paled. Was he drinking because he didn't want this? Was he that desperate to drown out her, the baby and the world? She was nervous all over again and she looked over at Keiko, who looked irritated. "Yusuke is catching up, trust me."

"Lay down on the bed." Yukina smiled quietly at Kitanoe. The raven haired Demon nodded and laid on the bed. Yukina gently lifted her shirt and placed her icy hands over her abdomen.

Botan and Shizuru squealed as they burst through the bathroom door. Kitanoe had not noticed they had gone in there in the first place. "Big fat plus sign!" Botan cheered.

"I'll order the pizza!" Shizuru grabbed her phone.

Kitanoe looked nervously at Yukina and she pulled away with a happy smile. "You are pregnant, Kitty. Congratulations." Kitanoe paled and suddenly her stomach ached. She sat up quickly and ran to the bathroom.

"Hello morning sickness." Shizuru mocked as she nursed her beer.

* * *

Hiei was actually smiling and his cheeks were stained with a light pink color. How long had they been here? He looked at the clock and assessed the answer had been an hour and 15 minutes. He was drunk, there was no doubt about it. Kurama was giggling at Yusuke's joke, and Kuwabara was on the floor watching the ceiling fan. It had been too long since they last spent time together like this.

"Hi-Hiei? Go grab another bot-tle" Yusuke hiccuped. His eyes were glazed over and the grin on his face broke into laughter.

"Is it just me or is the room spinning?" Kuwabara mumbled as he stared at the fan. His eyes followed it around and around.

"The whole room is spinning, fool." Hiei smirked. He grabbed the 4th Sake bottle out of the pantry and stumbled back to the table.

"Actually you're all extremely drunk." Kurama remained composed. Yusuke laughed at Kurama's composure and in return, Kurama burst into fits of laughter.

Hiei paused while he was pouring another round of shots. His mind was focused on the back bedroom where Kitanoe and the others were. He started shaking and the Sake spilled out from the glasses.

"Hey!

"Party foul!"

"Hiei, are you alright?" Kurama grabbed the bottle while Yusuke grabbed a towel, stumbling as he did so. Kuwabara had his mouth open, catching the dripping alcohol off the table with a grin. Hiei looked up when he could sense his mate. She hid behind the door, only peaking around it to look at the scene. She was pale and her eyes were slightly red. She had been crying.

"Shit." Hiei cursed.

Kurama and Yusuke looked up from the mess they were stumbling to clean. "Kitty! Come join the party!" Yusuke grinned. Kurama could sense the tension between the two mates as Yusuke handed Kitanoe a shot glass.

"I...I..." Kitanoe couldn't form any sentences. Suddenly Hiei was at her side and snatched the shot glass, he downed it, and tossed the glass back to Yusuke. Kitanoe sighed in relief and hugged Hiei tightly, even if he wasn't steady on his feet now.

"Let's keep the party going you light weights!" Shizuru burst into the room with a smile on her face. Keiko, Yukina and Botan followed.

"Yes, we need to celebrate the happy occasion!" Botan cheered.

"What occasion? Is it someones birthday or something?" Kuwabara mumbled on the floor. Yukina laughed as she went to his side.

"Kitty is going to have a baby!" Botan announced.

The boys fell silent. Kurama snapped his head in Hiei's direction, waiting for a reaction. He assumed Hiei already knew, and it explained why he spilled Sake all over the table. Yusuke went to the door to get the pizza and everyone seemed to be busy conversing and having a good time. Hiei pulled Kitanoe to the side and held her close, whispering.

"Why are you crying?" Hiei asked her quietly.

Kitanoe sighed deeply. She could smell the alcohol on him but he seemed completely sober in this moment. "I am worried...you aren't happy about this..." She confessed quietly. He gently lifted her chin up and made her look at him.

"My mate is with child. My child. It gives me more of a reason to finish rebuilding our broken world; to give him somewhere he can be proud to live." Hiei thought about his words carefully.

"What makes you so sure it's a boy?" Kitanoe wiped her eyes again and sniffled, a smile graced her lips.

"Intuition." Hiei shrugged and remained quiet.

An explosion of party goers erupted as Yusuke grabbed Hiei and lead him back over to the guys while Kitanoe was enveloped by girls and baby talk. Keiko wanted to talk about her labor and pregnancy experiences. Yukina would add a comment here and there about what she had witnessed from her homeland of Koorime; the women there could reproduce without a man. Kitanoe sighed. She really just wanted to be with Hiei.

Funny. After wanting nothing but the Human World for 6 months, she suddenly wanted to be back in Demon World.

A voice Kitanoe had recognized, and actually missed, echoed in the doorway of the temple entrance. "I hear congratulations are in order?"

"Kaoru!" Kitanoe broke free of her cooing comrades and rushed towards her retired commander. Kaoru laughed and accepted the hug.

"And here I thought you still wanted to kill me."

"Don't push me. I don't know how these raging hormones are going to react." Kitanoe smiled, almost sadly. "What brings you here?"

"Its business." Kaoru's voice made Kitanoe's stomach seize.

"What business...? Does King Enma need me?" She spoke softly. She realized no one had been listening or looking their way, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"He wants you to complete one last job for him before he fires you and sends you back to Koenma." Kaoru shrugged. "He's going to give me my old job back under immediate supervision."

Kitanoe swallowed hard. "What job?"

Kaoru reached into the waist band of her uniform and handed her a large envelope. She was almost hesitant in handing it over. "Everything you need to know is inside. "

Kitanoe opened it with shaking hands. Perhaps this is why Hiei wanted to avoid Human World so badly. She read the letter with shaking hands:

_**Kitanoe**_

_**You are needed at once for one last recovery. I apologize it has taken so long to reach you, but you are quite the difficult little treasure hunter to locate. Once this mission is complete, I will release you from my Army and have the Kings Mark removed from your arm. Koenma has mentioned he would like to have you on his team was once more, and although I don't understand his musings, he has made it quite clear that his team needs you.**_

_**The mission is quite simple. This recovery is a treasure hidden in Demon World, inside a Dragon Cave. I don't need to explain how dangerous Dragons are, or that they're hoarders of treasures. Deep within this cave is a capsule. In this capsule is my own creation, The Demon X virus strand. I need it returned to me immediately.**_

_**King Enma**_

Below that were instructions to the cave. Kitanoe glared at the letter before glaring at Kaoru. "Tell him to find a new lackey. I'm finished." She tossed the envelope back at the commander with a growl. "That virus is better lost than in his hands."

"Which is why I have a proposition for you, as well." Kaoru nodded. "When you find it, I want you to destroy it. It should be easy for you. Take however many people you wish to join you."

Kitanoe stared at her with wide eyes. "You're asking me to alter the mission? But the King-"

"-Will think it was destroyed during battle." Kaoru shrugged. "Kitanoe, you showed me that not all Demon's are bad; that they all don't need to die. Do you think he wants that capsule just to keep it locked in a safe somewhere? No. He wants to do harm with it." She sighed. "And you're the only one crafty enough to find the virus. "

"I'll have to wait to ask them in the morning." Kitanoe looked over her shoulder at her team. Hiei was beating Kuwabara mercilessly at shots. Yusuke was chanting them on and counting. Demons could drink much more than Humans, but Kitanoe still winced when she heard Hiei was at 29. Kurama was trying to calm the scene down, but was failing miserably. He was tipsy but he had stopped drinking.

"Ask them what in the morning?" Koenma spoke from behind Kaoru.

"Sheesh, this really is a party." Kitanoe sweat dropped. The sound of someone retching caught her attention. Hiei was leaning over the trash can vomiting his guts out. Kitanoe and Yukina rushed over to him at the same time.

"Should I-" Yukina started when something caused her to gasp. Hiei's eyes had watered and one tear slid down his cheek as he continued to dry heave, completely oblivious to the tear. The tear hardened into a stone she was all too familiar with and heard it hit the floor like a marble. "-_Heal him_!" Her voice caught as she gasped.

Kitanoe quickly swooped up the Hiruseki stone and grabbed Yukina's and Hiei's hands, dragging them into another room without drawing attention. It was much harder with Hiei stumbling and cussing at her to let go, which made it clear to her he was clueless right now. Kitanoe shoved them into her old room and shut the door. Yukina was suddenly so close to her face. She looked angry and confused. Her face fell from her furious frown into a sobbing mess. "Yukina? Yukina..." Kitanoe hugged her to comfort her. Hiei was on the floor, looking confused at the both of them. Kitanoe glared at tossed his Hiruseki stone at him. He stared at it for a long while before he paled. "Yeah, that just happened." Kitanoe sighed.

"I don't understand!" Yukina cried.

"Yukina, he needs to be the one to tell you. Let him sober up, sleep on it, so he can be in his right mind when he tells you." Kitanoe looked at her softly. "Trust me when I say he didn't have a choice. He kept it from you for your protection, and not only that but he's too proud to admit he is ashamed of himself." Kitanoe ran a hand through her dark long hair. They had had quite enough drama today. First she had fought with Hiei, Second she found out she was pregnant, Third she had a new mission from Kaoru that she had YET to tell anyone about, and now her drunken mate just let the biggest secret of his life slip to his sister.

Yukina wiped her eyes, staring at the many Hiruseki stones laden on the floor. Hiei's eyes were wide as he continued to stare in front of him, unblinking.

"Is he ashamed of me?" Yukina asked quietly.

"What? No, Yukina, no. Wait until morning, he will talk to you. He loves you, and cares for you, and he just wants to protect you. That's what he's always felt." Kitanoe hugged Yukina. The teal haired girl nodded with a small smile as she looked behind her at Hiei.

"I'm so relieved."

"Okay, now I am confused." Kitanoe was puzzled.

"I found my brother. He's been here the whole time. He's alive." She smiled brightly.

"Can you keep it secret until he tells you?" Kitanoe sounded worried, as if this would cause Hiei to wreak havoc in the morning.

"Yes! Of course!" Yukina smiled brightly.

They hugged again and Yukina looked at Hiei one last time before smiling and left the two mates to themselves. Once the door was quietly shut, Kitanoe turned to look at Hiei only to be crushed into his embrace. His smell drifted into her nose and she sighed peacefully. He smelled like pine tree's, camp fire, and a hint of Sake. She hugged him back, needing his comfort as much as he needed hers.

"She knows." He spoke softly.

"Yes, Hiei. She knows. It's okay." Kitanoe whispered into his ear.

"You're pregnant?"

"Yes. I am pregnant." Kitanoe confirmed. Hiei nuzzled her neck, still holding her next morning, Hiei woke up to the sound of his mate violently ill in the bathroom. Memories of the night before flooded his mind and his slow beating heart was speeding up with fear. Kitanoe came out of the bathroom and looked at him with wide eyes. "Did I wake you?"

"Where is Yukina?"

"I...I don't know, I just woke up." Kitanoe sat on the bed. "Do you want me to get her?"

"I already asked her to come here." Ah,telepathy. He winced as a knock came to the door. "Don't leave."

Kitanoe nodded, finding Hiei's behavior odd. She got up and opened the door for Yukina and the teal haired demon smiled at the two.

"Good morning." Yukina bowed.

"About last night-" Hiei winced as he started to speak but was interrupted.

"I already know the truth. I just want to hear the words. I need you to say them." Yukina smiled softly at Hiei.

Hiei looked defeated and terrified. "I...I'm your brother." There was a squeal of delight as Yukina ran up to him and tackled him in a hug. Kitanoe had to leap off the bed and out-of-the-way. She watched the two siblings embrace. Kitanoe felt awkward being in the same room with such a tender moment going on, but Hiei had asked her not to leave. When Hiei pulled away from Yukina he looked to his mate. "What this mission?"

"What?" Kitanoe had to think for a minute. "Oh...I was going to ask you, Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara to come with me. Enma wants me to retrieve the Demon X virus, but Kaoru instructed I destroy it, and that's what I am going to do."

"In your condition?" Yukina asked worriedly.

"I'm pregnant, not crippled." Kitanoe sighed. "Do you and the others want to come?" She looked at Hiei with questioning eyes.

"I will, not sure about the other fools." Hiei got off the bed and approached his mate. He tenderly cupped her cheek with his right hand, brushing aside a few strands of hair with the other, before kissing her softly. He pulled away and his eyes gazed down at her stomach. "I have two of you to protect now." He whispered.

Kitanoe blushed before leading the way out of the bedroom. "Alright guys! I need help with a mission! Who's in!?" She yelled once she got into the living room. She heard several thumps and curses as she had woke up the house hold. She hurriedly pulled her hair into a loose bun and made sure she had everything good to go.

Kurama was first to emerge, and he yawned tiredly. "Coffee first." He walked over to the coffee pot just as Yusuke and Kuwabara stumbled forward.

"Oh man...I have a hang over. Make that coffee super strong Kurama." Kuwabara mumbled, laying his head on the table. Yukina walked over and decided to heal his aching head.

"What's this mission I heard? It's been boring around here without Koenma sending us off to do his work." Yusuke groaned.

Kitanoe smirked. "We're going to go steal from a Dragon!"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's so long! I wanted to fill in some missing pieces and add to the story as well. Sorry if it was over whelming or boring, but I am open to suggestions!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers. **

**Chapter 20**

Kitanoe had a scowl on her face as she was grinding her teeth. Kuwabara and Yusuke had been bickering the entire way to the Dragon cave. Kurama was silent and his eyes scanned the landscapes for any dangers. Hiei was ahead of the group keeping his eye out for the land marks or potential enemies. Kitanoe looked back at Yusuke and Kuwabara and glared.

"I am only going to ask one more time. Could you keep it down? I would rather be the one to ambush the dragon, not the other way around."Kitanoe tried to speak calmly.

"Yeah, sure, no problem."Kuwabara mumbled and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"You said that last time."Yusuke complained.

"Yusuke stop instigating the problem!" Kitanoe hissed. "Next time I get assigned a mission remind me not to invite you two!"

The silence lasted mere minutes. Kurama looked on edge as Hiei leaped down from the tree's and onto the ground in front of them. He was also looking quite agitated. "We need to find somewhere to stay for the next few hours." Hiei's voice was stressed and sounded all wrong.

"There is a cave nearby with internal tunnels. When I was Yoko I used the cave often in my travels." Kurama immediately took charge and led the way. Yusuke and Kuwabara followed, trying to sense what ever it was that had Hiei and Kurama on edge.

Kitanoe frowned as she looked at Hiei. "What's wrong?"

"Follow Kurama." His voice was stern as he vanished, the lightning fast reflexes of his speed showing in this moment.

Kitanoe hurried after Kurama, and it didn't take her long to catch up. She looked up at the taller red-head and nearly jumped back as she was startled. His green eyes were dark and brooding. He looked angry, and lethal. "Kurama?"

"I don't think I need to remind you what happened last time we ran into Tunnelers." Kurama's voice was soft, although his eyes told a different story.

Kitanoe paled. She had lived with Hiei in Demon World for six months and not once did she see a Tunneler Demon, and now that she was on a mission for King Enma the Demons show up again? Her mind flashed into a horrible post traumatic stress induced memory of the ground collapsing.

Hiei and Kurama were unconscious and she was alone.

The Demon who raped her flashed in her memory. She could remember his smell. His touch. His voice. The pain was the worst, next to the feeling helpless.

Kitanoe jolted as she felt Kurama's hand on her arm. "That won't happen again. Hiei is just taking precaution and I agree with him. The cave will shelter us for the evening and give the Tunnelers enough time to pass through the area."

"Where did Hiei go?" Kitanoe asked as she rubbed the tears pricking the edges of her eyes.

"He'll be right outside the cave. He will let us know when it's safe to travel."

Kitanoe followed Kurama into the cave where Yusuke and Kuwabara had already made themselves at home. They both had their feet kicked up on a rock and were drinking sodas. Kurama conjured a few plants that would burn a long time and Kitanoe grinned as she set them ablaze, getting a fire going. She was also smart enough to use a minuscule amount of energy so that she wouldn't attract the Tunnelers.

"Are we going to just sit here in th cave all night? Why don't we just kill those tunnel demons and go slay a dragon." Kuwabara complained.

Before Kitanoe could answer, Kurama spoke. " You have obviously never met Demons of this magnitude. Tunnelers may look prehistoric and brainless but they are far from it. They are more intelligent than they are given credit for, and they can be strategic by using telepathy, something we didn't discover until recently. And we agreed before we left, we weren't going to slay the Dragon but work around it."

"So, tell me more about this Dragon." Yusuke changed the subject, detecting the subtle hint Kurama was giving off.

"I actually don't know very much about the Dragon." Kitanoe confessed. "I just know that I am to retrieve the vile containing the Demon X virus, and I am to destroy it. We must be very careful around the vile; if for any reason it is opened and you, Kurama, Hiei, or I come into contact with it, it can kill us."

Yusuke nodded, although wide-eyed. "Sounds like fun..."

"So if I touch it, I'll be okay?" Kuwabara questioned.

"In theory." Kitanoe nodded. "You're not a Demon, it should only kill Demon's."

"How come Hiei is still outside? Don't you guys cuddle and stuff? If Yukina was here we'd definitely be cuddling." Kuwabara changed the subject.

Kitanoe was caught off guard by the question. In truth, Hiei and herself hadn't slept in the same bed in 2 weeks. She felt a blasting heat next to her as Hiei entered the cave and sat beside her. She wrapped her arms around his left arm and leaned her head on his shoulder with a smile. Hiei was not a "PDA" kind of person, but once in a while he would indulge her.

"Are they leaving?" Kurama looked at Hiei.

The fire Koorime nodded. "They are headed in the opposite direction."

"Now that we're all here, let's eat!" Yusuke brought out a bag that was well insulated and started bringing all sorts of food out. Kuwabara grabbed a pan and placed it on the fire and began layering fish onto the sizzling skillet. A wave of exhaustion came over Kitanoe and she closed her eyes. Between the long hike they had that day and the added stress from the Tunnelers, she was ready to sleep. Hiei woke her up forty-five minutes later to eat, and once she had eaten her share she had fallen asleep again.

It was dark when Kitanoe woke up. She laid there for a moment, taking in her surroundings. The fire was dim but still going. Kuwabara and Yusuke were snoring away deeper into the cave. Kurama appeared to be sleeping peacefully, and in fact, so did Hiei. They were all asleep except her. Kitanoe stared at the rocky cave ceiling and sighed deeply. Her legs ached and she felt restless.

_'Bane?'_

_'Master?'_

_'How far off is the Dragon's lair? Think I could make it there and back before dawn?'_

_'That it not wise.'_

_'That's not what I asked.'_

_'The lair is five miles South of here. You will know when you see it.'_

_'Any chance you know of this Dragon? What am I up against?'_

_'Need I remind you that you're pregnant? If they wake up and find you missing-'_

_'Hiei will find me. I'm headstrong, not stupid. If I think for even one second I can't do this I will come right back. Deal?'_

_'Deal. The Dragon is centuries old and goes by the name of Scorch. She is gray like the ashes after a fire. Ruthless, she can incinerate enemies with one breath. Unlike most Dragons who hoard treasures and gold, she is most found of rare and unique items.'_

_'Do I have to kill her or can I sneak in and sneak out?'_

_'You missive does not say. Simply, "Retrieve", was all I remember.'_

Kitanoe sat up slowly and looked around. Everyone was still sound asleep. She escaped into the cold early morning air and made a mad dash South. It had to be two in the morning at least, judging by the moon. Her heart was racing from the adrenaline as she sprinted along the grass and dry patches of ground. She panted as she stopped on a ledge over looking what appeared to be a volcano, but with an entrance at the bottom. The sky was red around it and the surroundings were barren. Tree's were bare and the ground was ashes. Kitanoe hesitated for a moment before she leaped down, landing and jumping from rock to rock to get to the ground.

_'You hesitated. Go back.'_ Bane's voice resonated in her mind.

_'Something isn't right. I can sense Scorch, but...it's like she is dying._' Kitanoe thought.

_'She may have weakened with age. Do not underestimate her. Get in and get out.'_ Bane warned.

Kitanoe mentally nodded as she ran all the way to the volcano, clouds of dust left behind on her trail. The closer she got to the entrance, the more her intuition told her something was off. _'Bane? Can you make contact with other Dragons?'_

_'You're asking me to make contact with your current enemy? For what purpose?'_

_'I don't think she is dying from old age. Something is wrong.'_

_'With all due respect, we need to see with our own eyes. This could be a trap.'_

Kitanoe growled and ran faster, wishing she was as fast as her mate at this moment. She skidded to a halt as she approached the entrance. She didn't waste any time catching her breath and entered the volcano recklessly. She heard a deep roar followed by the rustle of chains. Kitanoe could smell smoldering fire, ash, and blood. She gagged from the smell and covered her nose as she made her way into the deep cavern.

She hid behind a large volcanic rock and peered over, her eyes widened in horror and shock.

The Dragon named Scorch was massive! Kitanoe was only as tall as the Dragons large fang. She was suffering and in a great deal of pain. Her body was marked with deep wounds and blood poured from them. Chains rattled as the weakened Dragon fought against them.

_'This is monstrous!'_ Bane growled.

_'What do we do? What happened to her?_' Kitanoe stared in wonder. _'I still __have a mission __to do, Bane, but we need to help her first.'_

_'Agreed. I will have Zorath send for Master Hiei. You shouldn't do this alone in case she is wary and hostile.'_

Kitanoe felt Bane leave her mind. She felt entirely alone as she stared at the Dragon, and she also felt nervous. Hiei would know she left the cave without them. She sighed, and decided she would focus on that later; Scorch was suffering, and she was going to save her. She couldn't sense anyone else in the volcano and spoke to Scorch from a distance.

"Scorch! My name is Kitanoe, I work with Spirit World! Please, let me help you!" Kitanoe's voice cracked in fear and from pity.

Scorch roared. Kitanoe could hear flesh tearing as it strained to break free from the chains. The sounds and fresh blood made her sick. Kitanoe looked over the volcanic rock again and decided to be incredibly brave...or stupid. She ran towards the Dragon and stopped mere feet in front of her with her arms spread wide.

"Look! I won't hurt you! You're a proud and beautiful creature! Tell me who did this to you!" Kitanoe yelled over the roaring.

"End...this miserable existence!" The Dragon collapsed. The force of the wind and dust from Scorch's fall caused Kitanoe to fall backwards. Kitanoe stared at the ceiling, her heart having stopped from the horror of the creatures words, and they continued. "I can no longer live this life...This way...Free me from my mortal body and release me!" Her words were strained, falling into heavy panting.

Kitanoe sat up quickly and scooted closer to Scorch. "No...No I can't do that. Let me get rid of these chains, you'll be free and-"

"NO!" Scorch roared, startling Kitanoe. "Kill me or leave, peasant!"

"You're in no shape to be making demands! Let me help you!" Kitanoe glared.

'_Master __Hiei __is on his way, and he is, how would you say this...Pissed off._' Bane returned.

"What were you thinking!?" Hiei snapped at his mate. Kitanoe didn't answer, and Hiei's returned silence meant he had noticed Scorch. "What the hell happened?" Hiei hissed, angry that someone would do such a thing to a proud and majestic creature such as a Dragon.

Scorch stood and roared again, expanding her wings in an attempt to fly. Instead her horribly battered wings flapped twice and impressively sent Kitanoe flying into Hiei, both of them soaring across the cave and into the nearest wall. Hiei glanced down at his mate and made sure she was alright before standing up and removing the cloth around his Jagan eye.

"Wait! You can't hurt her!" Kitanoe stood and grabbed Hiei's arm.

"Quiet." Hiei glared at her, before closing all 3 of his eyes.

'_He is reading Scorch's mind. He is trying to sooth her with telepathy and get our answers. You need __to be __finding that Vile._' Bane's voice echoed.

Kitanoe nodded and left Hiei's side. She managed to make her way around Scorch and into a narrow tunnel, most likely created by flowing lava over the years. She soon found herself in a treasure room, and it was twice the size of Scorch. "How am I going to find a vile in this place?" She said out loud. She heard Scorch roar again and the walls vibrated.

_'__Hiei __is fine, focus on the vile._'

"Right..." Kitanoe sighed with a frown and began looking through the various treasures; gold coins, silver coins, pearls and gems. She also found swords and ancient armors, spell books and enchanted items; both Human and Demon. Scorch roared again and Kitanoe could feel an anxiety attack brewing. "Bane..."

'_It's close. I can sense it_.'

"How do you know?" Kitanoe continued to search through the Dragon hoard.

'_Your blood __is drawn __to it. From your memories, this virus almost killed you once. It's as if your body is preparing_ _itself to fight it off again.'_

"Okay that doesn't help me find a vile-" Kitanoe began when the volcano shook in anger from the mighty Dragon it sheltered. She heard a glass bottle roll across the rough ground with a fluorescent green liquid inside. "Is that it!?"

_'Yes. I can smell the poison. Hurry destroy it!'_

"Shouldn't I destroy it outside?!" Kitanoe worried.

'_There's no time. __Kurama__, __Yusuke__, and __Kuwabara __have arrived, and Scorch is about to ignite the Volcano into a massive eruption!'_

"But I thought Hiei was helping her! I have to go out there, this is more important!" Kitanoe pocketed the vile, ignoring Bane's plea's. She found her way back to Scorch and was nearly splattered by a nearby lava pool.

'_The chains are too heavy, the metal is the strongest of all Demon world. You'll need to melt off the chains to free her._' Bane explained.

"Tell Hiei." Kitanoe ordered, and ran to the nearest grabbed it, ignoring the pain she felt; the lava had heated the chains to such a high temperature that it was melting the flesh off of her hands. Together with Bane, the chain was liquefying onto the ground. A loud metal clang echoed in the volcano as the first chain was removed. Scorch silenced at the sound and looked behind her.

"What are you doing!?"Scorch glared.

"Shut up, I'm freeing you!" Kitanoe winced as she ran to the next chain, repeating the process. Another metal clang sounded, telling Kitanoe that Hiei was in on the plan. The third chain dropped as a geyser of steam and liquid fire burst to the ceiling.

"This things gonna blow!" Yusuke worried.

"Leave!" Scorch hissed and flailed wildly. Her long resounding tail hit both Hiei and Kitanoe, nearly knocking them into the Lava. Hiei quickly recovered and ran to Kitanoe.

"I'm okay! Get the last chain!" Kitanoe winced, positive her ribs were broken. She watched Hiei run to the last chain and melt it into nothing. She tried to stand up and felt a sharp pain in her hip that had her falling back onto the ground.

'_The Vile_!' Bane hissed.

Kitanoe paled, ignoring her surroundings and her hearing went out. She looked down to her pocket and saw the blood staining her pants. The vile was in pieces in her pocket, the shards of glass stabbing and ripping her skin allowing the Demon X virus to enter her blood stream.

Scorch soared high into the Volcano, breaking the ceiling loose as she burst into the morning sky, boulders and heavy stones were falling down and crashing into the lava pools.

Kitanoe felt herself being lifted and panicked until she saw Kuwabara. "That stuff can't hurt Humans, but someone has to get you out of here! Hiei is about to go all kinds of crazy, so I have to hurry!" The orange haired moron actually managed to save her, and keep Hiei from touching the Virus. Kitanoe teared up from the gesture and watched as Kuwabara ran, carrying her a long distance away from the erupting volcano and back into the tree line.

Yusuke was holding Hiei back when they arrived. Kitanoe looked sickly when Kuwabara set her down. "Bastard! I will rip off your arms if you don't let me go!" Hiei growled.

"Hiei, if you come into contact at all with the glass you will become infected." Kurama reasoned.

"How the hell are you going to help her!?" Hiei glared. "She's dying, I can sense it! What about the child she's carrying!?"

"In my Human state, I am a lesser risk if the glass were to cut me. You and Yusuke will need to gather what I need to cure the Virus like last time, remember? She was fine before, she will be alright now." Kurama gave the two a small but complicated list of things he needed and watched them take off in a hurry. "Kuwabara, I will hold her down, but I need you to rip the side of her pants. About 6 inches or so, so I can remove the glass."

"I'll do you one better. I learned this in med school." Kuwabara said confidently. Kurama looked stunned, he had forgotten Kuwabara had gone to med school after High school. He watched Kuwabara create a small spirit sword, or what looked like scissors, and cut down and around, removing the entire pocket with the class inside. Kitanoe squirmed and whimpered as some of the fabric tugged due to glass being in her skin. The "Spirit Scissors" turned into tweezers that were able to remove any shards of glass left over in her skin, effectively eliminating the chances of Kurama contracting the virus.

"Kuwabara, that was excellent!" Kurama praised in shock.

"I'm not always an idiot." Kuwabara grinned from the compliment.

Kurama wasted no time cleaning the wound, bandaging up with medicinal leaves. The risk to others was now fixed, however the virus was still killing her, and the unborn child.

'_Yusuke and __Hiei__, hurry_.' Bane winced.

**A/N: Not going to lie guys, I am going to find a way to end this story within the next 5-10 chapters. I am just not feeling it like I used to. I may change my mind, but for now this is my decision. **


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers. **

**Chapter 21**

_She couldn't move. _

_Her body felt tied down with weights, she couldn't move her legs, arms, or something as little as her fingers. Her chest felt heavy and she couldn't breathe. Sharp and intense burning coursed through her leg, and she welcomed it. It was the only feeling she had, and it was giving her the only signal she was still alive. Her eyes wouldn't open, all she could see was the darkness of her mind. She couldn't sense anyone; not Hiei, or even Bane._

_Had they left her? _

_Maybe she was dead, condemned to a motionless, sightless life in which she would be consumed by the darkness of her mind, eventually driven mad in the state of limbo. _

* * *

"This is much more concentrated than last time." Kurama wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. His eyes looked grim and angry as he worked on Kitanoe's wound. The skin on her leg was a vibrant and deep purple while the wound itself had turned black. Kitanoe had a frown on her face but made no movement, the pain alone had rendered her unconscious.

"What do you mean more concentrated than last time!?" A female voice growled. Kaoru had come once she had heard the news; King Enma sending her to find out what happened to his precious concoction.

"Last time she was infected it took less than 24 hours to heal her, and the healing effects began immediately. This time, however...Nothing seems to be working." Kurama spoke softly.

"Make something work." Hiei's voice was filled with mixed emotions. The fire dragons fists were clenched so tightly his arms were shaking.

"Enma may have an antidote." Kaoru stood from her kneeling position next to Kitanoe. "However, I don't know what the side effects are, or what it could do to the child."

"I don't care about the child!" Hiei glared. Yusuke's deep brown eyes looked at Hiei in shock, seeing as how he could not have thought that way when it came to Keiko and Kyo. "We can have thousands of young for all I care, but she needs to be okay for that to happen!" It was hard to read Hiei. So many emotions had sounded in his voice in this instance.

Kaoru didn't waste any time, and dissipated into thin air; teleporting back to Spirit World.

"We need to get her to a hospital!" Kuwabara's voice broke through the tension. "I remember her saying Demon World has hospitals! They might not be able to cure her but they can slow it down until Kaoru comes back!"

"How do you figure?" Hiei's eyes cut straight to Kuwabara, his voice was calm and he appeared all ears for his future brother in laws idea.

"The virus can be treated like any other virus, it won't help in the long run but it could slow it down, plus she's lost a lot of blood and might need some. It's worth a try!" Kuwabara looked at his still, unmoving team mates.

"Even if we could get her there in time, no Demon doctor would touch her. The smell of the virus alone is enough to ward someone off, and you're not aware of the different practices demons use in their hospitals. Things are much different here, I'm afraid..." Kurama cut in.

"Well we can't just sit here and do nothing! Can't we take her to Genkai's, and her and Yukina work some healing magic?" Yusuke looked to Kurama for answers.

* * *

"_Is this how it ends?" Kitanoe said out loud to herself in her subconscious. "Can anyone hear me?" She felt herself walking forward, further into the darkness of her mind. _

_Step. _

_Step._

_Step._

_Her feet made an echoing tap with each step she took. She stopped and turned around quickly, hearing another set of foot steps. Darkness, but still she heard someone approaching. Her heart raced as she turned and made a run for it, her heavy breathing and falling foot steps rang in her ears. A sharp pain in her leg caused her to collapse and writhe in agony. _

"_Just kill me now!" Kitanoe shrieked. "I can't do this for eternity!"_

Step.

_Step._

_Step._

_Kitanoe closed her eyes tightly and waited. 'Wake up from this nightmare! Wake up!' Tears rolled down her cheeks. They made a lonely faucet drip splatter as it hit whatever ground she was on. _

* * *

"You don't have to touch her! I'll be her doctor, now step aside! You guys are pathetic, not helping your own kind! Humans do this all the time without fail! You're a disgrace!" Kuwabara clenched his fists as Demons scrambled everywhere. All but one Demon left the room.

Hiei, Yusuke and Kurama glared, waiting for something to happen. The doctor swallowed hard and with shaking hands, motioned Kuwabara over. "Things are much different here, Human." The Demon sounded so young, and looked Human to boot! He had the bluest eyes, pale blue hair, and was built like a fighter. "The IV is a normal set up, the fluid going in is a bit different." He watched with careful eyes as Kuwabara prepared the IV and was confident went he placed the needle inside of Kitanoe's forearm. "Now. Take this." He handed a syringe to Kuwabara, filled with a maroon liquid.

"What is this?" Kuwabara looked at it carefully.

"It's a form of antidote for a different virus. I've never seen this before but her symptoms are similar. I think it might help. You'll need to give it to her every hour like clock work until _your_ antidote arrives." He approached Kitanoe with caution. "I've never seen this before." He repeated. "But it's maddening. I can tell by looking at her she is in a great deal of pain. She's conscious but she has no control over her senses. It's like she's trapped inside of her own body. That kind of thing can ruin a person's soul."

"Out of my way!" Kuwabara pushed the doctor aside and grabbed Kitanoe's arm. He was glad the IV was the same set up as a Human one; he found the external point in which to put the syringe and injected the make shift antidote.

"Where the hell is that blasted woman!?" Hiei glared. Seeing his mate in such a state and hearing it from a Demon world doctor was too much. He needed her to survive.

He needed her.

"Tell me, Doctor, is there anything you can do to save the young?" Kurama asked, pulling Hiei from his thoughts.

The young Demon doctor paled. "She...She is with child!?" He stepped on the other side of the bed and took out a stethoscope, lifting her shirt and placing it on her abdomen. He then quickly grabbed a fetal heart monitor and placed it on her abdomen.

_'Bane! Zorath!'_ Hiei glared in worry. '_What's happening!?_'

'_Bane can not answer you my Lord. It is because of him that Lady Kitanoe is still alive.'_

_'Elaborate.' _Hiei was shocked to hear Kurama's voice, but then again his emotions were high and unguarded. He wouldn't be surprised if the whole room could hear this telepathic conversation.

_'Bane is using his energy to guard her life force.'_

A rapid thud like noise filled the room. Hiei looked at the doctor who seemed relieved and overjoyed. "We have a heart beat!"

Kaoru reanimated next to Yusuke, startling him. "I have the antidote! It's 8 times the usual dose, give it to her now!" She tossed the vile to Kuwabara who quickly scrambled for a clean needle and syringe. "Who the hell are you?" Kaoru glared at the Doctor.

"My name is Hyjeki." He spoke as he scrambled around for equipment.

'_He has found your sons heartbeat. Bane is protecting him as well.' _Zorath commented.

"My son...?" Hiei spoke quietly and watched as Kuwabara injected the potent antidote into his mate's arm. They waited quietly, the minutes ticking by like hours. Kitanoe's face turned from a pained expression into a more relaxed one.

"Hey, it's working!" Kuwabara praised.

* * *

_The foot steps fell silent. Kitanoe took the chance to quit her sniveling and whining, and rolled out of the fetal position into a fighting stance. "I'll never stop fighting! Come at me if you've got the balls!" She waited. Her ears were finally listening, and her eyes were focused. _

_Suddenly the darkness didn't seem so dark, and she could see some light shining in the distance. "What the hell is going on?"_

"_The virus is fading. You're going to recover." _

"_Bane?" Kitanoe looked around, shocked to finally hear him._

"_Your son is also fairing extremely well." His voice was proud._

"_Are you alright, Bane?" Kitanoe asked, frowning slightly._

"_I am weakened, but I will recover." She could hear the smile in his voice._

"_You're one hell of a Dragon." Kitanoe smirked._

"_And you're one hell of a fighter. Take your time recovering, don't go after Scorch immediately."_

"Did she make it?" Kitanoe wondered.

"She did. She is very grateful for your services."

_The light appeared brighter and brighter, Kitanoe used her arm to cover her eyes. "So I have a son, huh? Guess Hiei's guess was right." She grinned widely, her free hand landing on her abdomen. "I have a son."  
_

* * *

"Hyjeki, what are you doing?" Kurama asked, as a few hours had passed. Kitanoe had peacefully slipped into full unconsciousness and was resting.

"I found a sonogram machine. I want to perform an ultrasound and make sure the young is alright. A virus such as the one you explained could have been devastating, yet thanks to her Dragon and the high formula antidote, both her and the young seem completely unharmed. I just want to make sure the young didn't suffer any permanent damage." The young doctor spoke confidently.

Kurama looked at Hiei who was utterly confused. "Why don't you stand next to him Hiei. You'll be able to see your child."

Hiei said nothing as he casually walked over to bed side. He looked at his mate first, and sighed. She was looking so much better than she had. She had risked her life just to save that Dragon. He hesitantly looked at the sonogram screen and wasn't too sure what he was looking at.

A lot of black and gray was on the screen, but Hyjeki seemed impressed and was clicking buttons and jotting down notes. Kurama was next to Hiei in an instant, seeing his frustration. "Hyjeki, can we see a profile picture of the baby?"

"A what?" Hiei glared at Kurama.

"A profile ultrasound picture is a close view of the child's head and face." Kurama explained.

Hyjeki began clicking away and moved the sonogram wand around Kitanoe's belly, showing a perfect black and white image of Hiei's growing baby. He already looked so much like his father. Hiei had barely noticed that Yusuke and Kuwabara had also crammed their faces ever so close to the monitor so that they could all see the baby.

"It's definitely a boy." Hyjeki smiled and hit a few more buttons before cutting the machine off. He handed Hiei a printed profile picture of the baby boy. "Everything looks good. Healthy, strong heart beat. I didn't see any red flags. Kitanoe is looking much better as well. Her leg will probably scar, but compared to death, that seems like a minor problem."

Kaoru sighed and shook her head in relief. "I'm glad everything will be alright. King Enma will be furious that his virus is no longer, but that was our original plan to begin with. We were going to destroy it." Kaoru approached the bed and looked at Kitanoe's arm where the King's Mark was, and watched as it began fading away.

"So she no longer has to work for King Enma?" Yusuke mused.

"Correct. She is under Koenma's order now, as it should have been in the first place." Kaoru nodded.

"If the antidote continues working at this pace you should be able to take her home in a few hours." Hyjeki interrupted.

"Thank you for everything, man. I couldn't have done it alone." Kuwabara shook the Demon doctors hand.

"You were excellent, for a Human." Hyjeki smiled.

* * *

_Kitanoe could finally hear them. There was talk of the baby, and some small chatter. She wanted to open her eyes and wake up, but she felt weak and tired. She inhaled deeply, sighing in relaxed content. She felt a familiar warm hand run through her hair, and she wanted to hold her mate. The desire to see him and be wrapped in his arms was enough to make her cry in her sleep. She felt him wipe away her tears, and she fought to stay semi conscious. _

_'Hiei?' Kitanoe reached out with telepathy._

_'Save your energy. You and our son will be coming home with me in a few hours.' Hiei's voice soothed her. She felt his hand in her hair once more._

_'I should have destroyed the vile when Bane told me to. I was too worried about Scorch.' Kitanoe confessed._

_'Bane saved your lives, and Scorch managed to escape.'_

_'I need to find her.'_

_'Are you mad!? You're not only in any condition to do anything but lie there, but I forbid you from doing anything reckless until our son is born!' Hiei's voice was furious, and he expected an argument. He was shocked when he heard her giggle._

_'I love you.' Kitanoe's voice was sweet and full of admir__ing__ in her mate._

_Hiei sighed deeply. Had he even said those exact words to her before? If he had, when was the last time? Kitanoe felt him hug her tightly, as if he would never get the chance to hug her again. _

_'I love you too, __Kitanoe.'_


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, it's characters, or anything affiliated with it. I use the characters and locations for my own personal enjoyment and yours. I own Kitanoe Jyoni. I do use Wikia for information on locations and characters that I may need later. Rating is for language, violence, drug references, and intimacy scenes in future chapters. Please Review! Good and bad are accepted, as I value the opinions of my readers. **

**A/N: This is the final chapter for Addiction. Thanks for hanging in there with me as long as you have. I don't have very much time to write these days and I feel I can't go any further with this story. I will continue my story A Demon Fairy Tail as long as possible but I am looking into starting new fanfics or original pieces. Again, thank you all for your patience, it's been a privilege writing for you. **

**Chapter 22**

7 Years Later

Kitanoe sat from high in the tree, watching down below as Hiei fought a much smaller version of himself. Even their hair and eyes were identical. The only true difference was that Hiei's forehead adorned his powerful Jagan eye, while his son's did not. Swords clashed loudly, scaring nearby birds causing them to scatter in the skys. Hiei quickly disarmed the small boy, knocking him to the ground and placing his own sword at the boys throat. Kitanoe smirked and leaped down from the tree, folding her arms over her chest.

"That's enough for today, don't you think, Hiei?" Kitanoe looked to her mate.

"Yes, perhaps you're right." Hiei removed the sword from the boys throat. Instead of being grateful the young boy was angry.

"No! I wasn't finished yet! I can keep going!" The boy glared, just like his father. He stood on shakey legs, determined to keep training.

"I respect your determination and diligence, Kei (Pronounced Kai), but we really need to get going to Human World if you want to see Kyo." Hiei sheathed his sword and handed Kei his own.

Kei grabbed his sword from his father and sheathed it just as he had been taught. "Isn't it his birthday?"

"It is. Try...not to kill each other this time okay?" Kitanoe smiled softly and watched Kei stand next to his father. Her whole world stood before her; Father and son, her beloved mate and her only child. Kitanoe had almost died giving birth to Kei, and as a result can't bare any more children. At first the idea was a tradgedy, but as the years grew shorter she realized she could be happy with just one child.

"Mother?" Kei stared at Kitanoe with confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kitanoe shook her head and smiled. "We better get going." She watched Kei smirk and he started running in the direction of the open portal. Hiei took her hand and squeezed it before kissing her neck.

"We better chase after him before he starts picking fights with low class Demons again." Hiei spoke against her neck.

"He's so much like you it's almost terrifying." Kitanoe glanced over to look at Hiei. He was already staring at her.

"Hardly. His upbringing is much better then my own, and he's not a criminal. The only thing he and I have in common is our honor and determination to win. Everything else he gets from you."

Kitanoe laughed. "Come on, we're already late!" She surprised Hiei by kissing him on the lips and then running after their son, who was almost as fast as Hiei now.

Hiei caught up to her quickly and stayed at her speed instead of running ahead. It didn't take them long to get to the portal, which Kei was already at and looking very impatient.

"Didn't mean to keep you waiting. Are you ready?" Kitanoe smiled at Kei who was now grinning, excited to see his half-human best friend, Kyo.

"Can I go first!?" Kei asked excitedly.

"Remember not to run ahead, and don't scare any more Humans." Hiei spoke and watched Kei leap into the portal. "Ladies first, Mate." Hiei looked at Kitanoe.

"Let's go together." Kitanoe grabbed his hand. They leaped through the portal together and landed in a grassy patch on the Human world side. Rei was standing very tense, looking around.

"What is it?" Hiei immediately noticed the tense form of his son.

"Is that Uncle Yusuke I'm sensing?" Kei looked behind him at his father.

"Yeah. That's Yusuke." Hiei folded his arms over his chest and looked to the sky. "Probably training."

"I bet Uncle Kuwabara made him mad again!" Kei laughed, and began walking ahead, soon a temple came into view.

Hiei stood back and observed the scene before him; Yusuke was indeed beating the crap out of Kuwabara, for who knows what this time. His beloved sister Yukina was holding a teal haired new born, laughing at her Human mates unfortunate ass kicking. Keiko was standing by telling Yusuke to calm down, and Kyo had already noticed Kei and was running up to him. They tackled each other and preceeded to wrestle around in the grass, fighting over who was stronger then who; typical boy business. Hiei felt Kitanoe's hand caress his own, and he tightened his grip around it before walking over to Yusuke and Kuwabara.

"What felony did he commit this time?" Hiei broke up the tension.

Yusuke stood up and dropped Kuwabara on the ground with a grin. "Hiei! Kitty! It's good to see you!" He punched Hiei on the arm. "And you know Kuwabara, always starting a fight he can't finish." He chuckled.

Kitanoe walked over to Yukina and gentley took the baby from her arms, smiling as she held the tender infant. Yukina and Kuwabara had had a daughter only weeks before, and she looked just like her mother, red eyes and beautiful teal hair. They named her Hina, after Yukina and Hiei's mother. Yukina smiled at Kitanoe as she held her daughter. "How are things in Demon World?" She asked sweetly.

"Things have been really good, peaceful even." Kitanoe smiled. "With Scorch flying around and patrolling the areas and reporting back to Bane and Zorath, Hiei and I are able to report it to Enki and other leaders."

"Oh, Enki is still King?"

"Yes, this is the 4th tournament in a row that he's won." Kitanoe answered as baby Hina started to get fussy. Kuwabara fumbled around and finally got back to his feet and ran over to Kitanoe, gentley taking Hina back from her and holding her carefully.

"Shh, it's okay baby, daddy's here!" Kuwabara cooed. Hina stared at him with big red eyes and a smile spread wide across her little face.

Hiei and Yusuke approached the happy new parents as their sons were now grappling and pinning each other, breaking a sweat and throwing insults. They looked like Hiei and Yusuke duking it out in the yard. Kurama exited the temple and chuckled at the boys as he walked towards the growing crowd of adults. "It's good to see everyone here." Kurama spoke.

"Likewise." Hiei nodded at his fox friend.

"Are we having a birthday party for an 8 year old or what?" Keiko smiled. "Kyo! Kei! The cake is ready!"

Kyo stopped mid punch. "Oh man, mom makes the best cake!" He leaped off of Kei and ran towards the temple.

"Wait for me! I like cake too!" Kei chased after him.

The evening went by in this way for the next few hours, with everyone laughing and having a good time. Koenma even showed up to join in the fun. They regailed old times, and old missions. Koenma updated them on all the boring happenings in Spirit World. Everything was right in the worlds and how it should be. Kitanoe glanced over at Hiei. He was standing with his arms crossed, smirking at a comment Kurama made to both Yusuke and Kuwabara who were both bewildered and confused. It was funny how some things never changed, and yet at the same time everything was entirely different. She smiled as she was lost in her own thoughts. It was amazing how far they had all come, and she couldn't have been happier. She had exactly everything she needed or could ever want. Hiei's eyes met hers, and he unfolded his arms as he approached her and wrapped his arms around her. Kitanoe laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you." Hiei whispered to her.

"I love you too." Kitanoe whispered in return, a smile spread wide across her face. "I'm addicted to hearing you tell me you love me." She confessed.

"Then I'll just have to make sure you have your fix, won't I?" Hiei smirked down at his mate. "I love you." He repeated.  
"I love you too, Hiei." Kitanoe smiled again as the room erupted in laughter at a joke Yusuke has just told.

Yes, she thought, everything in their world was absolutely perfect.

END


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